Of a Kind
by VigilanteBones
Summary: When our hero leaves his home in search of a more exciting life, he stumbles across an old foe in trouble. When Link gets more excitement than he bargained for what does it mean for his future? and what does this reappearance of Ghirahim mean for Hyrule? Rated M for Language, Violence, and Ghirahim x Link Yaoi/Slash.
1. Chapter 1: Leaving

**LEAVING**

Link sat legs dangling off a precipice at his favorite secluded spot, atop the islet which fed Skyloft's waterfall. He stared down into the cottony abyss below him, nothing but sky and far-off islands and that vast carpet of cloud, with all of Skyloft and the looming form of the Goddess statue at his back. Thinking about how he'd had quite enough of Goddesses, he flopped back onto the moist grass letting the breeze set the wafting blades to tickling his skin wherever they touched. He breathed in the smell of the grass and the mist off the thundering falls behind him, feeling nothing but the cool ground and the berating heat of the sun, so much closer here than on the surface.

_The surface_ He thought longingly of the heavy air and sundry landscapes. _All those places left unexplored, those people left unmet. _He'd had such little opportunity to explore while on his journey to save his friend. He'd spent the whole time racing from place to place in a despondent frenzy, trying to get where he was going before evil caught up with him. He had more time than he knew what to do with now, and here he was, lazing about trying desperately to avoid the stares and queries of the people of his homeland.

After his return from vanquishing the Demon King Demise, during which he had received grave injury to both body and mind, nobody save perhaps his childhood friend; and the object of his quest, the Priestess Zelda, truly knew the hardships he'd endured. He was well tended to; of course the people of Skyloft wouldn't abandon their hero, but battle hardened and somewhat traumatized, he felt like an outsider in their blissful protected world in the clouds. He longed for a place where perhaps he would walk amongst a crowd unnoticed, or find quiet respite without having to hide for fear of eliciting the stares of passers by. But it was more than that too, there was a sense of contingency and danger he'd grown accustomed to and life here in the sky was too predictable and safe. Link longed for a wider world, and he would have it.

In the wee gray hours of morning Link packed his bag, taking all the equipment he'd acquired over the course of his adventure, most of which had been quietly gathering dust in his school issue chifforobe, along with most of his regular clothing, and a sword he'd pilfered from the training hall. Dressed warmly in a woolen tunic over leather pants and boots, he folded his knight's uniform and placed it on his neatly made bed along with a note, thanking the headmaster and teachers and his fellow students for all they had done for him. Telling them that he would visit when he could, and to call on him if ever they were in need of their hero. _But what good is a hero to a peaceful place like this? _He told himself reassuringly. _They don't need me anymore._

He trod softly down the corridors towards the galley, it would be at least an hour until the other students woke and begun their daily schedules, and while he was sure he'd be able to find food on the surface, he thought it best to pack some food for the road. As he was carefully wrapping some bread, apples, and goat cheese in a linen cloth, a voice broke the heavy morning silence. Spoken softly, sweet and familiar but seeming cacophonous in the quiet of the school galley, Zelda had whispered his name.

"Link?" she was standing in her nightclothes, a thick quilted blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hand on the doorframe, with a look of wary confusion on her delicate feminine face.

"Ah!" he stammered, startled at the girl's sudden appearance "Your eloquence, I was just… ah…"

"It's okay Link. I know you're leaving us. I've known for a long time. Longer even than you, I'd wager." She padded over to him her bare feet making almost no noise on the cold stone floor, resting a small hand on his chest just above his heart. "And cut the '_your eloquence'_crap." She smiled up at him, "I don't wish to be treated as royalty, least of all by you, my hero."

"As you wish" he gingerly lifted a lock of her golden corn silk hair with calloused fingers. His resolve wavered how could he leave her here? With no one to protect her from the evils of the world, his most cherished friend.

"I know what you're thinking." She stated plainly seeing the pain creep into his soft blue eyes, "but I will not let you use me as an excuse to stay! I'll push you off of Skyloft myself if I have to, I've done it before." He smiled at the memory. The day of the Wing Ceremony, she had almost killed him shoving him over the edge of the island trying to force him to practice. But she had saved him too, it seemed a lifetime ago. As he gazed down at her admiring the soft glow of her pale skin in the early morning light, all cream and roses and how had he never noticed that she was the goddess incarnate? She wrapped her slender arms around his waist and whispered "Go, everyone will be waking up soon. Don't worry; I'll take care of everything." He embraced her fiercely, trying to ignore the threatening burn in his eyes and heart.

"I'll come back soon." He murmured into her hair and squeezed her briefly but firmly before breaking their embrace, grabbing up his bag and vaulting out the open window. He knew if he didn't go soon he would loose the will to leave. _No, _he stifled the heavy melancholy that threatened to settle upon him. _There are better things waiting for me down there; a whole new life, free from this place._

The sky was still gray, but the morning was brightening diligently, despite the cloud cover. _Overcast at this altitude? It's sure to be a mess on the surface; I picked a hell of a day to leave._ He hastened through the academy's grounds, carefully circumventing Pipit on his early morning patrol. Once he was safely out of sight, he slowed to a casual walk not wanting to educe suspicion; anyone who saw him would think he was just out for an early morning stroll. He stopped a few yards from one of Skyloft's many jutting piers, looking out at his future. _You can do this._ Breaking into a sprint he hurtled over the edge, the brisk wind stinging his face making his eyes tear up. Enjoying the sensation of plummeting through the misty sky for longer than he usually did, he whistled for his crimson lofting who swooped under and caught him just before he hit the clouds. As the bird ascended sharply, Link hitched himself up on the birds back grabbing the simple leather reins it wore and pulling it toward the beaconing green portal to the surface. He lamented over leaving his bird behind, _Zelda will care for him. _He wished he'd thought to ask her in the galley but it was too late for that now, and she would know as she always did what he'd meant to say. He pressed his face into the bird's thick vermilion neck feathers, a wordless goodbye. He luxuriated in the soft down before letting loose the reins and slipping off the loftwing's back, plunging through the hole in the cloud covering towards Faron Woods.


	2. Chapter 2: Under The Temple

**UNDER THE TEMPLE**

Whipping his sailcloth out at the last moment, Link's boots alighted upon the grassy earth with a muffled wet _thud. _It was indeed raining as he'd suspected, not more than a drizzle right now but the gray sky was quickly turning a threatening black. Knowing he'd be soaked if he didn't find a place to make camp promptly. He carefully folded the sailcloth and stuffed it back in his pack before surveying his surroundings. He had landed behind the Sealed Grounds in a small clearing walled off by sheer cliffs, sprouting ferns and with mushrooms peeking out of the dripping cracks in the embankments and the moist fictile earth. He clambered over the site of a small landslide, heading towards the Skyview Temple, thinking it would be gratifying to rediscover the place now that he wasn't in a hurry, and besides, it would provide the best shelter from this steadily building rain.

By the time he actually laid eyes on the temple night was beginning to descend upon the forest or at least it seemed to be by Link's approximation. It was hard to tell with the burdensome menacing storm clouds and the rain that had turned into a heavy dirge that hit him in brackish waves. He climbed the steps to the temple entrance, gritting his teeth against the sharp damp cold that had permeated through his clothes and skin right down to the bone. _Damn it! _His heart fell, the entrance to the temple was blocked, clearly the work of bokoblins, the door was sloppily barred by heavy boulders and logs.

He stormed off around the temple wall, pushing his way through the heavy foliage that threatened to block his path, _there's got to be another way in. _The dark was really settling in now, it was all Link could do to keep his bearings with one hand on the rough mossy temple wall, the other protecting his face from sharp branches and vines that struck out in the oppressing dark, stinging and slapping at his skin. Eventually, exhausted, freezing, and near collapse, his hand raw from dragging against the gritty stone grasped at rough edge, a break in the wall. He groped around excitedly, trying to see in the dim light cast by the luminescent mushrooms that peppered the forest. The hole was just big enough for Link to crawl through with his pack on, his knees and elbows digging into the marshy ground.

The tunnel began to decline steeply and his pack pushed heavily against the back of his head. His boot caught on an errant root and sent him face first into muddy gravel. _I should just lay here._ He lamented, _maybe leaving Skyloft wasn't the right thing to do… what did I expect to find out here anyway? Adventure? Ha! I've had my adventure, and where did it get me? Freezing in a hole. _He dragged himself back to his kneeling position and trudged onward until he felt the tunnel widening and beginning to flatten out. _I've been crawling for awhile… I wonder how deep I've gone. _Eventually he entered a cavernous room, with several dark doorways surrounding a small lake, luminescent fungus lining the walls making it light enough to see with some clarity most of his surroundings. He breathed in; the earthy air in the cave was warmer than outside. Considerably so, and upon further inspection one of the doors led to a hot spring, the source of the heat, and brighter than any other room. The mushrooms and lichens hung from the ceiling there in thick ropes, thriving in the humid environment. The spring itself was fairly large, a deep almost perfectly round hole rived out of some kind of sandstone, the water a deep cerulean.

_Finally, a stroke of luck,_ Link's jaw relaxed, the doubt trickling out of him. He had made the right decision to leave. Wasn't it the toiling through muck and monsters and injury that made the small victories like this hot spring so magical? It was nothing to take a bath back home, but here it was a miracle. He dropped his pack and quickly stripped out of his clothes, filthy to the point of being unrecognizable. Naked, he stepped tentatively into the hot spring, not realizing the extent of how cold he really was until the water sent an aching burn wherever it touched. He slowly thawed himself out piece by piece, sitting down and scooping water in his cupped hands and pouring it over his legs and stomach to acclimate them to the heat of the spring before slowly submerging himself to the neck in the hot water.

He swam around a bit scrubbing at the caked on mud using a hunk of moss he liberated from one of the walls, dunking his head and combing the mud and plant bits from his golden hair roughly with his fingers "Oh…" he sighed aloud finally clean and leaning back against the bank of the spring, the warm water working his tense muscles loose while he watched the patterns that the teal blue light played on his skin through the delicately undulating water. In this light, even his tanned skin looked a pale blue. He traced the shadows and reflections with his thin tapered fingertips as they danced across the taut skin of his stomach. It was so quiet here; the only sound his sensitive ears could find was the quiet lapping of the water as it pushed against the bank of the spring in time with the movement of his limbs. He took long, deep breaths as his hands wandered lower feeling the crease where his hip met his thigh and brushing through the blondish down that drew a line from his navel to his pubis. He felt his heartbeat quicken, his pulse heavy in his groin. Wrapping one hand around the base of his cock, the other moving in swift strokes along the length of it, his breath came out in shallow quick huffs. He arched his back, his chest cresting out of the water, the cool air shocking after being submerged in the hot spring. He leaned his head back against the shore, his toes curling and pink lips parted slightly as he moaned softly through his teeth. He came quickly, whether it was the stress of leaving or the exhausting journey, the wayward hero was spent. He shook himself dry and pulled on a pair of thin linen pants over his still partial erection, thankfully, miraculously; almost everything in his waxed canvas pack had remained dry. He pulled out a padded bed roll and a woolen blanket, slung on the pack along with his sword and shield and went in search of a comfortable place to sleep, leaving his clothes in a muddy heap by the spring.

As he searched the other rooms, he came to realize that this cave was much vaster than he'd first thought it to be. From that first wide room with the lake, there was the doorway to the hot spring of course, and another that led to a crude kitchen with cast-iron pots for cooking and an old metal grill over a fire pit. Every room was decorated differently, from the rustic kitchen to a generously furnished library, with walls of books in languages Link couldn't read but a few he recognized from history books. The one thing every room had in common was that it was indescribably old, possibly older than the temple itself, which curiously enough, didn't seem to connect to this labyrinth from any direction. Link decided he'd go make his bed on the floor in the kitchen where he could light a fire to keep warm. Away from the heat of the spring, the rooms had the heavy cold of places deep underground.

As Link headed back towards the main room walking down a wide corridor, out of the corner of his eye he noticed an inconsistency in the bricks of a nearby wall. Trained well to investigate any abnormality from his time navigating the booby-trapped temples and dungeons of the land, he stopped and assessed the setting of the stones. Placing his bedding and pack carefully against the far side of the hallway, he pressed his ear to the wall. Was he imagining it? A sound, very faint but he was sure he'd heard _something._ He ran his fingers across the bricks, restlessly all thoughts of sleep gone at his discovery of this new enigma. He found that the heavy stone bricks seemed to be blocking off an arching doorframe. He had bombs with him, but he didn't think they'd be strong enough to break through, and he wasn't sure that's the way he wanted to go about it anyway. Who knows how stable this old place was, he might bring the whole temple down on himself.

After much listening, pushing, touching and pondering, Link stumbled upon a stone loose just outside the panel of wall he was investigating. He wiggled it and tugged on it until it eventually dropped to the floor with an echoing "CLOMP" He froze, breath halting. He'd grown so used to the absolute quiet of this place that even though he was the source of the noise, his heart was racing. _Relax. _He exhaled, but couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled over him. _You're loosing it. There's nobody down here but you, you noisy klutz, you haven't even seen a single skulltula. _He examined the hole left by the extracted rock and found that it gave access to a latch that made it an easy matter to pull the heavy door open.

The door swung outward with a pneumatic _fwoosh, _to reveal a lavishly designed bedroom with vaulted ceilings painted with swirling loftwings, furnix, and skytail, and some birds that he had no name for. The walls were draped in blood red velvet that brushed the smooth marble floor. There was a dresser and vanity made of some dark reddish wood carved masterfully in a detailed filigree to match the four poster bed, which had a gauzy canopy that fluttered slightly in the breeze wafting in through a vent near the ceiling. As he stepped into the room eyes wide with awe at his rich surroundings, He stopped dead. A weak groan came from behind the bed curtains. He recognized it as the sound he had been hearing through the wall. Link drew his sword, taking slow measured steps, trying to make as little noise as possible as he approached whatever was waiting behind the thin fabric.

As he flung the curtain aside sword raised, ready to strike, his heart dropped into his stomach. There before him on top of a plush comforter, was the crumpled, wheezing form of his once great adversary, the Demon Lord Ghirahim.


	3. Chapter 3: Demon

**DEMON**

Link stood aghast, sword still raised staring down at the broken heap of a demon before him. _What could have done this to him?_ His mind racing while his sword weighed heavily on his tired arm _I should strike him down while I have the upper hand… this has to be some sort of trap, but… how could it be? I didn't know myself that I'd end up here. _Ghirahim, laying on his side wrapped tightly in his tattered cape with his knees pulled up to his chin was shivering and unconscious, a cold sweat on his pallid brow and his silver hair a tangled bloody mess. _He certainly doesn't look like he's in any state to harm me. _Ghirahim's dark eyes fluttered open, agonizingly trying to focus on Link's face. "…Link..." He whispered painfully. Link's heart beat uncomfortably in his chest he'd never heard Ghirahim call him by his name before, something about the absolute helplessness of his rival made him hesitate _He looks so fragile… _He slowly lowered his sword and reached his free hand out to brush the demon's hair out of his face.

Ghirahim was obviously having trouble maintaining consciousness, _how did he end up here? _Link pondered, as he sheathed his sword and carefully rolled a feebly protesting Ghirahim onto his back to better asses his injuries. Long rips in his white jumpsuit exposed pale flesh bloodied and marred. Link ran his calloused hands gently along the lengths of Ghirahim's injured body, down his arms and legs and sides, carefully feeling for broken bones, but finding none.

The flesh wounds were mostly superficial but some of the deeper ones would need to be cleaned. He apprehensively tucked his arms beneath Ghirahim, grunting as he lifted the unconscious body. _He's so heavy! _Link's tired legs nearly buckled beneath the weight _it's like his bones are made of iron._ He startled himself with the thought when he realized that they might as well be for all he knew about demons or their anatomy. He began to doubt his ability to heal him. _I guess I'll just have to figure it out as I go along._

Link trekked laboriously down the hallway and to the hot spring, placing Ghirahim on the ground at the edge as softly as he could, gritting his teeth when Ghirahim blanched and let out a pained groan. Link arranged him in as comfortable a position as he could before swiftly fetching his pack from the hallway and fishing out a roll of gauze and setting it aside. Wishing he'd had the forethought to bring along a potion, Link sighed as he began methodically scooping hot water up in his hands and slowly pouring it over the gashes and cuts still seeping blood, picking bits of gravel out of the scrapes. He realized quickly that he was likely going to have to cut almost all of Ghirahim's tattered, soiled jumpsuit off of him, not that there had been much to begin with, _he dresses so impractically._ Pulling a small sharp knife out of his pack, he unclipped the cape tossing it aside, Then set to carefully trimming off the legs and all the fabric from the waist up, leaving only barely enough cloth to be considered shorts. As Link deftly cleaned his multitude of injuries, Ghirahim slowly regained consciousness lifting his head and watching Link with a wary, pained look on his face. "Am I hurting you?" Link glanced up from his task briefly feeling the gaze upon him.

"…No" he murmured eyes wide and suspicious. As he marginally regained his strength, he shakily pushed himself up on his elbows glancing down at his bare chest and legs briefly, "what are you doing?" a guarded edge coloring his weak voice

"Uh…" Link stumbled for the right words "I'm cleaning your wounds so that I can bandage them" He frowned concentrating on his task. _What __am__ I doing?_ "If we don't get them clean soon, they could get infected." He stated matter-of-factly.

"_Obviously._" The superior tone Ghirahim usually carried was reviving, "but _why _are you doing that?" His face set in an apprehensive grimace.

"I don't know." Link blushed, his busy hands pausing, _why am I embarrassed?_ "It just… Seemed like the right thing to do." After a moment of silence he glanced up, Ghirahim was looking down at him, an unfathomable expression in his inky black eyes. Link stared back, struck by the intensity of his gaze, like he'd never seen him before. They stayed that way, locked in each other's eyes for a long moment before Ghirahim's weakened arms betrayed him and he laid back against the damp ground, mumbling something incomprehensible, but Link was pretty sure he'd heard the word "hero", before slipping back into unconsciousness.

As Link worked his way from limb to limb, he thought about how little he knew about Ghirahim. That he is or at least _was,_ a weapon programmed to kidnap Zelda for his master's purpose. _But what are you now that he's gone?_ He looked like a man. A pale, possibly dying man, but he had decidedly human features. Crouching at Ghirahim's side, he peered down at his sleeping face. His features were very delicate for having so imposing a figure. He stood at least half a foot taller than Link, and was very muscular, but the lines of his face were soft, a swooping jaw line framing smooth cheeks and pouting pale lips that parted rhythmically with each raspy breath, revealing perfect milky white teeth. His nose, straight bridged and sharp, and his eyes, wide set with pale lavender lids and deep purple shadows beneath them, with long plush lashes the same silver white as his hair reflecting the teal-blue light of the room. _So peaceful looking, when your face isn't full of hate. _Link didn't realize he had been leaning in until Ghirahim's eyes blinked opened only inches from his own. "Can I help you?" He had spoken softly, but Link was caught by surprise sitting bolt upright, he blushed enormously.

"We have to get your hair clean." He stammered awkwardly, running his fingers through his own still damp hair.

An amused smile pulled at the corners of Ghirahim's mouth "If you insist." He began to pull himself closer to the edge of the spring, his breathing labored with the effort.

"Let me help you." His face still burning, Link pulled off his boots and rolled his pants up to the knee. Stepping into the water, he helped Ghirahim scoot backwards cringing when he gasped out in pain. He'd only moved him a few feet, but the wide bloody smear that trailed behind him was not a comforting sight. As gently as he possibly could, Link lowered Ghirahim's head into the steaming water to rinse clean his matted bloody hair. Kneeling in the shallows, he cradled the back of his head in one hand, the other combing through his silky white hair, working loose the knots and rinsing it clean. Ghirahim closed his eyes sighing contentedly at the pleasant feeling of Link's fingers scrubbing at his scalp and tugging gently at his hair. As Link worked through the tangles he noticed that Ghirahim's left ear, the one usually hidden by the thick asymmetrical hairstyle he wore, was stunted. Mildly fascinated, he ran a finger softly across the rounded edge of it. Realizing what he was doing, he nervously glanced down at Ghirahim's face, relieved to find that he hadn't seemed to have minded the odd gesture.

Ghirahim looked up at him from under his thick eyelashes, staring into the face of this strange boy who was, against all reason, tending to his wounds. "Thank you" The sincerity in his voice caught Link by surprise. _We've tried to kill each other, again and again, and here I am washing his hair. _The thought was surreal. _This can't be the same man I fought. He was deranged, a villainous madman, here he seems so tame._ He frowned glancing down at the ominous crimson staining the sand colored floor.

"Do you think you could hold yourself up if I got you in a sitting position? We should really get your back clean." Their eye's met, Link's fingers still running through Ghirahim's hair absent-mindedly.

"I think so, yes." Ghirahim blinked, looking away. Link carefully hoisted him up into a sitting position, his back to the spring. Ghirahim leaned forward slightly, placing his hands at his sides and supporting himself shakily. Link stepped back. "Is it very bad?" Ghirahim's voice was strained with the effort of holding himself upright.

It was bad. A long angry gash running from his right shoulder-blade to his left hip was seeping blood that ran in thick streams down his back, soaking into the hem of what remained of his jumpsuit._ Definitely some muscle damage. _He swallowed hard, thinking of the meager first aid supplies he had packed, this was beyond his capacity to heal with the equipment he had on hand. "Well… it's…" He struggled to find something comforting to say, or at least not to express how hopeless he felt. "I think, um..." _I think I can see your bones. _"I think it's going to take more gauze than I have on hand." He finished lamely.

Ghirahim chuckled weakly, hearing easily the fearful tone that Link had tried to hide. "It's not as bad as it looks, I'm sure."

"It _looks_ like you should have been dead hours ago!" Link laughed nervously at his nonchalant attitude. "I don't know if I can fix this." his eyes burned, not at the thought of Ghirahim dying surely. He'd tried to kill him several times himself hadn't he? _But not because I hated him, not because I wanted him to die. It was a necessity. We were both just pawns, weapons in the hands of different masters._

"It should close up by morning." Ghirahim interrupted his meditations. "But…" he sighed "I would much appreciate it if you would clean it for me." He sounded mildly abashed, "wouldn't want anything getting stuck in there."

"By morning? How?" Link's eyes narrowed incredulously. With some difficulty, Ghirahim turned around to face him, his muscular legs sliding to either side of Link, submerging up to his knees in the spring.

"I'm not as fragile as _some_ people" he raised an arm for Link to inspect. Some of the cuts had begun to knit themselves back together, and a shallow scrape on his wrist had disappeared entirely. He looked down at the long pale legs beside him and gasped. Injuries that should have taken weeks to heal were closing before his eyes. He looked up astounded to meet Ghirahim's amused expression. "Close your mouth boy, or a bird may lay eggs in there." Links mouth snapped shut. He hadn't even realized he'd opened it in his surprise. "I normally heal much faster but… well I was quite incapacitated, and it takes quite a bit of magic to drag one's self out of a grave, so to speak." He was clearly enjoying Link's befuddlement. "But please, if you would help me with my back? I don't want to have to go digging gravel out of there once it's healed."

"Right." Glad for the distraction, Link stood up and walked briskly around to Ghirahim's back. It was still gaping and deep once he had rinsed the gore off, but it appeared to have stopped bleeding for the most part. Sitting cross legged on the ground he very gingerly began cleaning the wound, apologizing profusely when Ghirahim hissed and clawed at the rough ground with his long nailed fingers as Link carefully tugged sharp edged shrapnel out of the already healing flesh, causing fresh blood to roll down his back in beads and soak into the already stained remnants of what was once Ghirahim's clothing. "I think I've got it all." Link wiped the sweat from his brow with a clean spot on his forearm, his hands and arms covered in blood.

"Thank you" Ghirahim sighed in relief, and then after a moment, "I think I'd like to try and stand up now"

"If you're sure you can, I mean, you should probably rest awhile before you try to move" The anxiety creeping into Link's voice was poorly masked. He stood up, thinking he would at least try to give Ghirahim a hand getting upright when glancing down at himself he realized he was absolutely covered in his blood. He waded a few feet into the water to wash the blood from his hands and arms, but lost his footing on a slick patch of ground, he tumbled head-first into the deeper water. He resurfaced to Ghirahim laughing buoyantly.

"I'm sorry, it's just" Ghirahim covered his mouth with both hands trying to contain his laughter. "I'm watching you, a _child_, who bested _me_ time and again in battle, and..." he was having trouble maintaining composure, convulsing mildly in his levity. "…and you're so…_ graceless!"_ Link scowled at him; shoulder deep in the hot water his heavy blonde hair dripping on his face. This only made Ghirahim laugh harder, crossing his arms over his stomach trying not to disturb his slowly healing cuts. Peeved, Link splashed at him childishly. Ghirahim looked surprised momentarily before scooting forward into the water and splashing back grinning mischievously. Link, despite his best efforts, lost his serious expression almost immediately as they engaged in this most unlikely combat, trading splashes and laughing together.

Sliding deeper to gain leverage, Ghirahim lost his balance and tipped over, disappearing in the dark water. Link fleetly swam over to where he'd seen him go under, unsure if he'd be able to right himself, frantically searching the water for any sign of him but the demon had vanished completely.


	4. Chapter 4: Ally

**Author's notes:**

***SLASH WARNING***

**lots of graphic man love, if you're not into that please don't read it. I'm not out to offend anyone but I can't control whether or not you read it so that's in your hands to decide. You have officially been warned.**

**Thank you all for the kind helpful reviews! you guys rock, I love you. **

**I blushed the _entire time_ I wrote this, I almost didn't post it. Please don't murder me.  
**

* * *

**ALLY**

Link's sharp eyes scanned the water, searching for any trace of Ghirahim in the abyssal darkness of the spring, the surface still roiling from their game, but there was nothing. _Where did you go?_ Beginning to really get alarmed, he inhaled deeply about to dive in to search the bottom by touch when a massive wave enveloped him from behind. He managed to keep his footing but only just. Wide eyed, he whipped around to find only inches away from him was Ghirahim who was positively giggling, an evil grin on his face and a hand resting on his hips. He was taller than Link remembered; the top of Link's head just barely reached his broad shoulders. Ghirahim leaned down, their faces almost touching, a pale long fingered hand reaching out to push Link's water laden bangs out of his surprised azure blue eyes, tucking them neatly behind his long ears.

"I win." Ghirahim chuckled lightly at the shocked look on Link's face.

"You look… like you're feeling better." Link attempted to regain his composure, trying not to let show the shock on his face, and how worried he had actually been.

"Yes, I'm feeling quite rejuvenated." Closing the space between them, he placed an arm around Link's shoulders the other grabbing one of his arms and pulling it around his own waist. "See? I think a little lighthearted fun was just what I needed." Link's heart beat furiously in his chest, his breath catching in his throat, unused to being in such close proximity with anyone, let alone someone he still wasn't positive wouldn't try to kill him. Confused he looked up at Ghirahim who raised an eyebrow questioningly, seeing the flush on Link's cheeks and feeling his quickened heartbeat against his stomach.

He realized after a moment what Ghirahim had been trying to show him, the hand he'd placed behind his back should be touching that nasty gash. Link's hand felt around, finding only a slight raised line where the wound should be. He looked in wonder again at Ghirahim, who had a knowing smile playing on his pale lips. "What's wrong? You look upset." The hand that was not on Link's shoulder came up to rest gently on his cheek, fingers curling around the edge of his jaw just beneath his ear. "Worried I'd drowned? How sweet."

"No I just…can't believe how fast you heal." Ghirahim's smile widened, Link looked away, he knew he wasn't fooling anyone. His ears grew hot, the blush on his face darkening, he tried to step back, but Ghirahim tightened his grip effectively trapping him.

"Where do you think you're going hmm? You're allowed to touch every part of me but I can't hold onto you for even a minuet? That seems vastly unfair." Ghirahim pouted mockingly.

"You were hurt! I was just trying to-" Link stammered indignantly at a loss for words, _what is he playing at? _"I was just trying to help you! Not that you really seem to have needed it…" He pushed against Ghirahim's hips with his hands trying to break free, suddenly wondering if this wasn't some convoluted trap after all.

The arm around his shoulders slid down to his waist holding him captive, while the other snaked around the back of his neck, "Quite the contrary, if you hadn't come along I'd likely still be a horrid mess… Honestly I have no clue why you bothered to help me at all. You had every reason to leave me for dead." No longer smiling, his face was abruptly tense. As Ghirahim's eyes searched his, Link noticed they were not solid black as he'd thought, but actually a deep shade of lavender. _What is that look he's giving me? What does he want me to say?_

"Just as you have every reason to hate me." He squirmed uncomfortably "but you don't seem to be trying to kill me either."

"That is true" Ghirahim sighed theatrically, "and I do appear to have the upper hand at present. Perhaps I should kill you…" His grip tightened around the back of Link's neck, grinning insidiously; exposing his perfect, sharp-looking teeth. "What use do I have for you alive, hmm?" He waited expectantly. _Is he actually asking me?_ Link looked down shyly, inadvertently pressing his cheek against Ghirahim's arm

"I suppose you don't." He shrugged, closing his eyes despairingly as the truth of the statement hit him like a brick. _What use am I to anyone anymore?_ The thought echoed in his head painfully. The grip on his neck loosened, he glanced up to see a quizzical look gracing the pale face above him.

"What kind of answer is that?" He sounded mildly appalled, "I didn't expect you to beg for mercy or anything but really, I thought you'd be able to come up with something a little better than _you don't_."

"Well, you _don't _have any need of me." His soft voice tainted with bitter resentment. "Not you, not Zelda, my story's over, you may as well kill me for all the use I am now." Ghirahim grabbed him roughly by the chin, his own eyes mirroring the pain in Link's face.

"_How dare you." _He stated accusingly. _"_How dare you cause so much trouble saving your pitiful world just to abandon it? You fought so hard for something that meant nothing to you? That's absurd. Or did that worthless little goddess puppet reject you; leave you for someone less battle scarred?" The words stung, but Link had no defense against them. "_Is this not what you wanted?"_ intently holding his gaze, Ghirahim gestured broadly, implying more than their current surroundings.

"It was the right thing to do." Gritting his teeth his vision blurred, he was in danger of actually crying now.

"Like it was the_ right thing_ _to do_ to help me?" the demon's voice was soft now, one hand still preventing Link's escape, the other reaching up to catch a tear that had begun to run down Link's cheek. "You were so determined when I met you… And irritating… What happened to your resolve?"

"That's the thing about fate, what do you do once it's over? What do you have left?" _what am I doing talking to Ghirahim about this, he's the last person who would understand._

"What indeed" Ghirahim looked away pensively, dripping hair falling back over his face. "I've wondered the same thing myself." he looked back into Link's damp apprehensive eyes "Perhaps…" he hesitated, "Perhaps that's why we've met now, our situations are not so different. Hero or villain, we are no longer necessary and so here we meet; discarded."

"_We are bound by fate" _Link whispered, "You said that to me once." He looked up at the lovely face of his once enemy, considering what unlikely kinship they might share, before without thinking burying his face in Ghirahim's chest, feeling a tentative hand smooth down his hair.

They stood that way quietly for a long time before Link peered up bashfully; _I've made such a fool of myself…_ Ghirahim leaned in until their foreheads were touching, "That blush you've got is quite becoming." He whispered, so close their lips brushed together lightly as he spoke. Link froze, his breath growing heavy and his heart beating so hard he was sure it was audible. Slowly, gently, Ghirahim pressed his lips against Link's, loosening his grip, giving him the option to pull away.

Link inhaled sharply. _What do I have to loose?_ He didn't pull away. Moaning delicately as he leaned into the kiss a wave of heat flashed through him and settled in his stomach just beneath his navel. His hands that had been balled into fists, now grasped eagerly at the middle of Ghirahim's back. He felt Ghirahim smile as Link's tongue flicked out imploringly, but Ghirahim leaned back breaking the kiss as he carefully knitted his fingers in the back of Link's damp hair, "so enthusiastic." Ghirahim purred, pulling Link's head back gently. He panted unevenly as Ghirahim kissed just behind his ear moving down the tendons in his neck to tenderly bite the outside of his collar bone.

"Ah!" Link gasped knees buckling, and fingers digging ardently into the smooth hard flesh of Ghirahim's back trying to keep from collapsing. Ghirahim ran his fingers slowly from the nape of Link's neck down the length of his spine to the top of his tailbone before taking Link's arms above the elbow and wrapping them around his own neck.

"Hold on tight." Smirking at the uneasy look on Link's face as he tightened his grip, he hitched Link's legs up over his hips and dropped to his knees, eliciting a startled yelp out of the boy. "You seemed like you were having a little trouble standing." He feigned concern as he gently leaned him back in the shallow water, "I thought this might be better."

Link had never been so close physically to another person. He was caught up in the sensation of their skin touching and absolutely fascinated by the smooth lines of Ghirahim's face and body. First touching the corner of his mouth, his cheeks and then timidly his mismatched ears, tracing the lines of his throat down to his chest and stomach, reaching around to count the notches of his spine; all the while patient eyes watched the engrossment on his face. "It's like you've never touched another person before." He smiled leaning in to bite gently at the thin flesh of his neck. Link shivered delicately.

"I haven't." he whispered shyly, expecting some sort of rebuke "not like this anyway… I'm sorry." He wasn't sure what he was apologizing for but his chagrin showed on his face.

Ghirahim laughed, "Whatever for? Although I'll admit I'm a touch surprised, I would've thought that saving the world would get you your pick of the litter."

"It's not that nobody was interested…" he thought of the girls back home who had asked him out, or tried to kiss him, or on one occasion even challenged him to a loftwing race for his heart. "None of them understood what I'd been through, why I still wake screaming in the night... why I had to leave."

Ghirahim's face was thoughtful. "I was a rather _intimate_ witness to your trials." He traced a long scar on Link's chest then rested his open hand there feeling his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his breath frowning contemplatively. Link propped himself on his elbows craning his neck to kiss Ghirahim's partially open mouth firmly, breaking his reverie. "My, you _are_ eager aren't you." He spoke, their lips still touching, "you seem to have entirely forgotten how dangerous I can be… I'll have to remind you."

Link opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Ghirahim roughly kissing him; one hand supporting himself, the other pulling at Link's hips hungrily as he insinuated himself upon him, moaning painfully when he felt Link hardening beneath him. "Hmm, you don't exactly seem to be stricken by mortal terror..." he growled raking long fingers from Link's ribcage down the side of his thigh.

"You aren't as scary as you think you are." His voice wavering contrary to the statement.

"Oh, you don't think so?" there was a warning in the velvety murmur, digging his nails into Link's thigh, before swiftly grabbing the waist of Link's linen pants breaking their embrace to pull them down off his legs, tossing them to the shore with a wet _thwop_. Link watched as Ghirahim simply snapped his fingers and the remainder of his white shorts disappeared in a flurry of diamonds. Pinning Link's wrists above his head grasping his waist with the other hand, he rolled his hips, grinding against him, educing shocked gasps from Link as he gazed up at him shy and bewildered.

"Ah-Alright! Alright, you're very, very scary." Link panted, overwhelmed by the sensation, "Please!"

"_Please?" _trying to contain the amusement on his face he feigned perplexity, "Whatever do you want boy?" releasing Link's hands to graze his sharp nails lightly down his chest, "aren't you enjoying yourself?" He felt Link's legs hook around his at the knee while he sat up to wrap one of his arms around his shoulders, "what are you d-" he didn't have time to look surprised as Link twisted hard at the waist pulling one of his legs under them completely flipping their positions.

"Yes, I am." He said simply, smiling down almost haughtily at the look of pure wordless astonishment on Ghirahim's fair featured face. Link laughed, "You're always underestimating me." He put his hands on either side of Ghirahim's face leaning in to kiss him sweetly.

Ghirahim closed his eyes wrapping his arms around Link's narrow waist pulling him closer. After a moment Link slid down kissing a line from the hollow of Ghirahim's neck to his navel pausing unsure what to do next, he looked up meeting a feverish gaze. Ghirahim's pale hand reached down to caress his cheek and then gently guide his head down, his lips parting curiously as he licked the smooth head of Ghirahim's penis, wrapping thin pink knuckled fingers around the length of it squeezing gently. Encouraged by the soft throaty moans and fingers lacing through his hair he took as much of it as he could in his mouth painting spirals with his tongue and sucking desirously. He felt the muscles in Ghirahim's legs and stomach tense, his breath heaving as he approached climax. Link gagged slightly as Ghirahim bucked his hips, thrusting into his mouth until he came. _Not entirely unpleasant_ Link considered the slightly bitter salty taste that lingered in his mouth after he had swallowed.

"Sorry I sort of lost control there, are you all right?" Ghirahim's face was flushed and he was still panting slightly.

"I'm fine" Link smiled up at him, but in truth he was absolutely exhausted, it seemed like forever since he'd slept and the hours were taking their toll.

"You look absolutely haggard, I didn't hurt you did I?" Ghirahim touched Link's cheek affectionately examining his face.

"No really, I'm just… very tired." He yawned punctuating the statement.

"Well how about bed then, hmm? Give me just a moment…" he waded out deeper into the hot spring, rinsing himself off before returning and helping Link to his feet.

Link packed his unused gauze back up and slung his gear on his back considering the kitchen momentarily before setting off in the direction of that bedroom. _I have no energy to light a fire,_ he thought wearily, _may as well sleep in an actual bed._

"Ahem" Ghirahim cleared his throat conspicuously; Link looked back at him questioningly to see him beckoning him with a curled finger. As Link approached him Ghirahim opened his arms as if to embrace him. "Allow me to offer you a more expedient route?" He grinned mischievously. Hesitantly, Link stepped into his arms; Ghirahim wrapped an arm around his waist. "Close your eyes." Link closed his eyes. He heard a snap and his stomach flipped, his feet were no longer touching the ground and he felt a fierce wind whip past him.

As suddenly as it had happened, it was over. Link opened his eyes thankful for the supportive arm around him. He recognized the red velvet draping the walls of the bedroom and blinked slowly regaining his equilibrium, the birds on the ceiling appearing to spin with the room.

"I know it's a tad disorienting, but it is much faster." Smirking, Ghirahim guided a stumbling Link to the bed so he could support himself, taking his pack and weapons and placing them carefully at the foot of the bed before helping him climb in under the covers. "It gets easier, I promise."

"I think I prefer walking…" Link felt slightly ill, rolling onto his side and pulling the plush covers up to his chin while Ghirahim climbed in to bed on the other side and wrapped a sturdy arm around his chest from behind.

"We'll see." Ghirahim muttered conspiratorially, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Goodnight hero." But Link was already fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Flight Upwards

**Vigilante's Notes: **

**Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I had some computer trouble, but it's all fixed now! I promise I'll get you the next chapter lickedy-split. **

**This chapter is not **_**very **_**graphic, but please remember that this story is rated "M" for a reason.**

**As always, I love you all dear readers/writers/friends, enjoy.**

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Link awoke his cheeks cold in the morning air _I must've left the window open._ But the view behind his closed eyelids remained pleasantly dark where the bright morning sun would usually permeate. _I should get up, I've probably already missed breakfast, _his stomach snarled emphasizing the thought. He sighed wearily but did not open his eyes. Not even hunger was enough to get him out of bed, and anyway he'd had the strangest dream that he wanted to see if he couldn't re-enter, _what had it been about?_ He tried to draw the heavy images up in his sleep addled head; _there was rain… a tunnel? and,_ flashes of silver hair, bloodied white cloth and the sound of a melodic chuckle surfaced in his mind _and… Ghirahim._

"_Ghirahim!_" He sat bolt upright the previous night flooding his memory, the frigid air of the room stinging his bare skin. He searched the dark room frantically, feeling silly when he even checked under the covers, but he was alone. _Where could he have gone? _He threw the bulky covers off of himself and sprung off the bed, glancing behind himself anxiously, _calm down; he probably just woke up before you, why are you so worried? You're not exactly known for rising with the sun. _Still, he couldn't shake the heavy sense of unease that had settled upon him. He searched the room for any indication of the time of day but found none, dressing in the first clothes he pulled out of his bag, leggings and a tight fitting long sleeved tunic, and pausing briefly before strapping on his sword and shield.

He pushed the heavy stone door, peering out into the empty hallway suspiciously. _What has got me so high strung? If I could only find Ghirahim… _Then he heard it, from far above him an aching groan that set his teeth on edge. His eyes grew wide as a realization crept up on him, "_the temple." _He breathed staring at the dark ceiling trying to see straight through it, thinking of the massive fearsome beasts he'd encountered in the depths of the Lanaryu Mine, at the peak of the Eldin Volcano, _but here in Skyview there was only…him._

He whipped around, lunging at his pack; sure now that something was amiss. With practiced hands he tucked and strapped and buckled up all his equipment, wishing he'd packed the chainmail he'd left with his knight's uniform. Bolting into the hallway without bothering to close the door behind him and sprinting out into the main room before another rumble set the lake shivering, and dust falling from cracks in the high ceiling. He stopped considering the way he came in, it would take a while and anyways the temple entrance had been blocked. _It's sealed shut._ He thought despairingly, _No, people lived here once; they didn't crawl in through a hole in the ground. There's got to be another way in._

He glared at the walls, willing them to reveal a path. He didn't realize he had wandered forward until his boots splashed into the shallow water at the shore of the lake. He stopped, scanning the walls when he caught a glimpse of a dark patch on the ceiling. _What is that? _He squinted into the darkness, _it's perfectly square, definitely man made…_ _a hole? _He pulled out one of his clawshots aiming it at the abnormality. A heavy CLANG as the clawshot bounced off of the inside of what was indeed a hole, followed by the splash of the heavy metal hitting the water. As he watched the chain retracting through the waves he saw through the dark water, a flash of something red and shining, too deep for the clawshot and he had his bow but no arrows. _Only one way to do this._ Sighing, he touched the Dragon's scale that hung from a cord around his neck before backing up to get a running start at diving into the water.

He winced as he broke the surface; the icy cold water enveloping him. His whole body ached his joints protested, and as he swam deeper the water became impossibly colder. The closer he got to his target the less his limbs wanted to cooperate turning clumsy and burdensome, his lungs began to burn. _I should have just dragged myself out the hole I came in and bombed the entrance to pieces. _He contemplated bitterly, _should've at least tried throwing a rock in here first. _His fingers brushed the sandy lake bottom, eyes ablaze as he opened them reluctantly to get his bearings. Relieved to be within arms reach of the shining multifaceted switch, he swung at it with protesting arms and legs to no avail, eventually drawing his sword cumbersomely and thrusting at it with all his remaining strength. His throbbing ears picked up the muffled _click _as the switch went dark and dismantled itself. He put his sword away incommodiously before kicking off the bottom propelling himself towards the distant surface. With arms and legs like lead, he pulled himself laboriously through the water, his breath finally failing him; he exhaled in a cloud of bubbles, choking as water flooded his lungs. Flailing in the water his fingers brushed something rough and snakelike, his numb hands struggling to find purchase on the rope he tugged hard, his head breaking the surface pouring water from his mouth and nose and eyes and ears, he clung to the thick rope for all he was worth with deadened blue fingers unfeeling and nearly useless.

He hung there for a moment half in half out of the lake, vomiting and sputtering as dark water evacuated his lungs, drawing hitched gasping breaths through an abraded airway. Just as he was considering whether he should attempt to climb the rope up through the ceiling or swim to shore he heard a CLACK from deep beneath him, and another from far above; the switch resetting itself and the rope beginning to pull him upwards. He wrapped an arm and a leg around the rope not trusting his frozen muscles to bear his weight; water falling from his heavy clothes and equipment as he gained altitude. The slow speed of the ascending rope was agonizing. He slowly regained his breath and began to shiver violently as circulation returned the feeling to his extremities in the form of a painful biting sting that started in the tips of his fingers and worked its way up his arms.

As he rose up through the opening in the ceiling, which was larger than it looked from the ground, he peered into the darkness; far above him was a grey light. He could just barely glimpse the apparatus that was carrying him, a mechanical pulley system bolted to a rough stone wall under an awning and as he neared the mouth of the egress; he felt raindrops hitting his face and heard the spatter of it against the craggy wall _it's_ _still raining, _his detached thought confirmed as he unwound himself from the rope and sprawled out on the small platform, allowing himself a moment to just lay on the wet ground too cold to care about the rain falling on his already soaked figure. _Get up. You have a job to do now._

He stood shakily taking in his surroundings; the landing he was standing on had a stone-brick wall to one side and a sheer cliff to the other and in front of him a wide gorge. He looked across the crevice to what he recognized to be the north side of Skyview temple, _then on the other side of this wall is the dungeon… _He placed a shaking hand on the wall to stabilize himself as he peered around the corner of it he saw only about five yards from him the grassy landing that he knew led to the temple's dungeon. As his gaze wandered upwards he noticed a huge swirling branch that swayed in the heavy rain. _Perfect. _He pulled his whip off his belt lashing at the branch with as much force as his tired arms would allow. His whip found its mark, wrapping around the bough soundly. In lieu of swinging over he got a running start and dashed horizontally across the wall, releasing the whip at the last second as he rolled onto the grass, landing on his hands and knees the small exertion winding him.

He looked up at the dungeon's door, with its elaborate gold lock, imposing as he remembered, but slightly ajar. He contemplated resting for awhile when a howling cry broke his reverie and he leapt to his feet throwing himself at the heavy door, slowly pushing it open with all his weight, his boots losing purchase on the slick ground. Eventually he had opened the door far enough to squeeze through and he stumbled dripping and panting into the familiar cavernous room. There in the center of the room a white clad figure kneeling with his head bowed, cape fluttering in the breeze creeping in through the open door, "Ghirahim!" Link shouted stepping towards him, halting when the door slammed shut behind him. "what… what is this?" Ghirahim turned to face him eyes wide with fear before collapsing in a heap on the floor, Link moved to help him but before he could take a single step Ghirahim let out a wailing roar, the sound was harsh and unnerving, his face set in agony, limbs jumping and bending in wrong directions as he writhed on the floor. A yard or so in front of him markedly undisturbed by Ghirahim's thrashing, was a small blue bird; a chirris. It hopped back a few paces to avoid being struck but kept its attention fixed on Ghirahim.

_I've got to figure out what's causing this; I can't do anything to help him. _Link gritted his teeth, hands grasping at thin air, feeling helpless. A dark violaceous mist began to rise from Ghirahim's prone squirming form, swirling in the air and moving to rest in an agitated cloud around the chirris.

Link's eye's lighted on the little bird as it was slowly obscured by the fog. _You're the only thing out of place in the room… besides-_ His thought was interrupted by Ghirahim letting out a pained cry and collapsing, body limp and unconscious as the last of the strange bruise colored haze left him. Link ran to him, wet boots slip-sliding across the tile floor "_Ghirahim!" _His voice cracking and rough from the lake water. He examined the unconscious man, but despite his grotesque seizing he seemed to be unharmed, although he didn't look like he'd be waking up anytime soon.

Link let out a shaky relieved breath, head snapping up when he heard a screeching trill from the bird. Before his eyes it was changing, the bird let out enraged cries as its form ballooned, supple cracks as its tiny bones broke, making room for something much stronger that was taking their place. It was clear from the thing's expression that the process was agonizing, expanding already to be twice Link's size. As it grew even larger its features became fearsome and leonine, it's beak cracking into jagged rows of pointed teeth a long golden fur sprouting from its head and neck. Its wings grew into crooked feathered arms that ended in long sharp taloned fingers, pale human breasts budding in rows down its chest and stomach while its legs remained scaled and birdlike. There was something else too, something deeply unsettling as its face morphed into something more human… feminine.

Link stared awestruck at this monstrosity, their eyes met. The thing had human eyes, intelligent and cruel and a horribly familiar shade of violet-blue. His scream caught in his throat, they were Zelda's eyes.

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**Vigilante's footnotes:  
I apologize deeply for the Inuyasha-esqe name shouting in this chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6: Things Hidden

**Vigilante's Notes: **

***GORE WARNING* **

**Not _super _graphic but it could be upsetting if you are sensitive to such things.**

**This is the chapter where this story really starts to break away from cannon so if that is something that bothers you I'm sorry but that's how it's gonna be.**

**As always thank you all so much for your patience, I love you.**

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**THINGS HIDDEN**

He did not have time for weakness. The bile rose in his aching throat as the beast looked down at him disdainfully. He broke eye contact looking down at Ghirahim instead, grabbing him under the arms and dragging him to the wall. He propped him in a corner concentrating on his graceful sleeping face. _Did you do this? _He frowned, placing a hand on his cheek, no time to worry about it now.

He turned to face it. He drew his sword. Inhaling deeply, he was not afraid. It did not approach him; its lipless mouth opened, eggshell teeth parting noisily, and spoke in a discordant double timbre, one part deep and menacing, a resonating masculine rumble, the other wispy and tender, the high sweet voice of a child. "HeRO" the voices were out of sync "HeeeeeeeeERO" its clear observant eyes boring into him, "DO YOu k_nO_W WhAT I am? I am? _I am_?" its question trailed into a shuddering whisper, its overlong fingers clacking against the tile floor in a hysterical staccato.

"_You are an abomination_." He hissed through his teeth, forcing himself to stare unwavering into its stolen eyes. "_And I will end you_"

"NONONONONO." Its cheshire grin flipping into an unlikely frown. "NONONONONONONO, WWeeeeee will we will we _must_ _TELL _YOU FFFIRST" it prostrated itself, skittering backwards until it's hind legs backed up the wall, its many breasts flattened against the cold ground.

"Fine!" He shouted, ready to charge as soon as he spotted a weakness. "Tell me what you are!" the thing's awful mouth popped back into that alarming visage of a smile.

"_I climb your back with quiet fingers_" only the child's voice, quiet as the wind. "a PREDA_TOR_ in The NIGht" they spoke together, "ALONE IN ME" The deeper voice boomed, "_…as in death_" the breathy trill of the child again,_ "The tortured seek me in dark places…I _aM tHE We_IgH_T oF T_Hi_nGS UN_SEen."_ it began dragging itself across the floor towards him. "A_Lone_… ALLLLLLL alllllOONE!" it shouted triumphantly raising its jittering hands to the ceiling, "I will DEvour YOUr Br_EEAATh_"

"Enough of this!" Link took his sword in both hands and ran full tilt at the atrocity, aiming for its throat, just as he was close enough to strike it sprung high in the air grasping the elaborate ceiling with it's clawed feet and hands, but still grinning down at him while it's head twisted backwards and rotated almost entirely upside-down.

"CONQUER ME, AND CONQUER ALL" its jagged teeth grating against each other with every word "To l_iVE _in ME is WORse THaN DEEE_EEAAATH_" It waited expectantly, bouncing jovially against the ceiling. "WHA_AaaaT_ Am I? WHAT _AM I_?" Its voice echoing and cacophonous, the sound of it rebounding across the dungeon walls. "ANSweeer MEEEEE _child_, oR _I_ will SWALLOW yOU wh_ole_"

It stared at him with eyes unblinking, anxious and shivering from its awkward perch. "What is this? A riddle?" His heart sank; he was clever with a blade, and with levers and switches and traps, but never with words. _But they're not so different._ He wished he had paid more attention to his academics._ You only have to make the pieces connect, just like always. What do you know about it? _Most glaringly that it had Zelda's eyes, _but it's not her. It's a trick, only meant to hurt me. _He wasn't entirely convinced, but he tried to ignore it and concentrate on what the thing had said. _What else? Come on… _He glanced back at Ghirahim's unconscious form, _it came from him. _Ghirahim slowly, painfully opened his eyes, fighting against the darkness that held him. Link saw him open his mouth to speak before the beast dropped from the ceiling between them, cracking the tiles where it landed, and rushing at Link faster than seemed possible on it's awkward legs, stopping inches from his face. It caught him off guard, wrapping the long fingers of both of its hands around his torso and trapping his arms.

"AN_Ser m_E _B_oy" It tightened its grip around him, his ribs protesting and he began to have trouble pulling air into his lungs. "W_HA_t a_m_ I?" Its breath hot on his face, smelling of rot, and oddly of flowers and of a cloying spicy redolence he couldn't identify. He squirmed, furious that he'd let himself be distracted. "WHAT _AM_ I?"

"Just… give me a moment…" Link wheezed, struggling for every breath. "Let me think…" as the thing clutched him even harder, he could feel his heart beat in his skull and he felt his sword slip from his hand and clatter to the ground. _What are you? Beast? Bird? Monster? Zelda? _He couldn't think straight, a creeping darkness began to press in at the edges of his vision. _What are you? _

As his consciousness began to slip he heard a quiet whistle and then a quick _thap thap thap. _The beast roared and dropped him; he hardly felt it when he hit the ground. He heard the sound of its claws scrambling against the tiles and then miraculously, a velvety growling voice, "how _dare _you? _You_ _forsaken wretch!_" Link's vision slowly cleared and the blood rushed painfully back into his arms. He sat up, clambering for his sword, to see Ghirahim, furious, and standing across the room from him, apparently unharmed with a hand raised elegantly, around which danced dark ethereal blades. "The child does not know _you_." With a nimble flick of his wrist the blades shot at the monster, lodging in its flanks and slicing into its soft breasts.

"FAR_ceur_! bUT YoU K_no_oow ME_EeeeE_ee?" It lunged at Ghirahim but he merely stepped out of the way, sending it careening into the stone wall. "GGGHRRA_UUGGHHHH_ I aM _nOt FFFFORR_ yo_u_! N_Ot_ f_OR_ YOu!" shards of stone had lodged themselves in it's eyes and between it's teeth. "_No_T _F_OO_OR_ YoU CL_Ow_n!"

"Regardless. You will not have him." With a snap of his fingers, a long, black, evil looking cutlass formed in his hand. Before Ghirahim could make a move Link charged past him burying his sword in the beast to the hilt.

"_FEAR!_" Link spat at it "your name is _fear_" Its eyes grew panicked blood leaking from its terrible mouth. Link kicked it hard in the stomach, pulling up on his sword; dislodging the blade and ripping open its belly, tissue and blood flinging in an arch as he stumbled backwards. The thing flailed wildly, long plump ropes of its intestines drooping out of its wound like moss hanging from the branches of trees. It slipped in the pool of its own blood and came crashing to the ground hollering wordlessly. The smell of its insides was pervasive, like corpses stuffed with cloves and wildflowers. It looked up at him and it was crying, its eyes bloodshot, pained, and sorrowful _…Zelda's eyes._ Link stopped his sword poised to come down on its horrific face, his arms grew weak. Ghirahim stepped in front of him, grasping the thing's hair and with a delicate tearing noise, cleanly sliced its head from its body and tossed it callously to the ground. The beast twitched and shrunk until it was just a crushed decapitated bird in a disproportionately large puddle of blood. He extended his arm and his blade disintegrated into nothing. The heady smell of the thing lingered in the air.

Link's sword lowered, clacking against the ground in the suddenly silent chamber. Ghirahim turned to face him, his expression wary; raising his hands slowly, cautiously, in a gesture of docility as though he were worried about startling him. "Are you injured child?" Link's body hurt from top to bottom, his ribs felt bruised and his lungs were raw, and he felt like he would never be warm again, but there were more pressing matters.

"What was that thing Ghirahim? What's going on?" Link sheathed his bloody sword and reached a shaky hand out; resting it on one of Ghirahim's raised arms. "It had Zelda's eyes."

"Don't worry, the girl remains unharmed." Dark eyes unreadable, a bitter edge to his voice, "It's unlikely that she even felt the disturbance of its creation, although it is possible I suppose." He frowned "you're freezing, let's go back and warm you up before your fingers start falling off." Link could hardly protest, he _was_ freezing, and he had begun to shiver tellingly once the adrenaline of battle had worn off.

"Okay. But you will tell me?" He tried to put a stern look on his face but with his teeth chattering and his whole body shaking he did not present a particularly imposing figure. None the less, Ghirahim nodded with apparent sincerity.

"Yes. Now close your eyes." He wrapped his arms around Link's shoulders. Link did as he was instructed, and then heard a snap and it was as though he was dropped from a great height, flipped upside-down and tumbling, although at the same time he seemed to have remained entirely stationary. After only about a second of this his boots alighted upon the hard ground. "Not as unpleasant as the last time I trust?"

"No, I don't feel sick at all this time… maybe you shouldn't let go of me just yet though…" They had landed near enough to the hot spring to feel the heat of the steam rising from it. Ghirahim helped Link sit down then pulled his sopping boots off and began to help him pull his tunic off, "what're you doing?" Link blushed furiously.

Ghirahim sighed exasperatedly, "Would you rather just hop in with your clothes on? And what are you worried about anyway? It's not as though I haven't already seen you naked." Grinning mischievously as he finished pulling Link's tunic over his head. Link actually did need help getting his leggings off, they were wet and had very little stretch to them, and they clung to his legs in a way that made it impossible for his numb fingers to peel them off. He didn't feel any colder for being naked, and in fact away from the icy damp of his clothes the heat of the spring's steam began to warm him even before he touched the water. He stuck a hand in, it burned urgently, but slowly the burn died down to a pleasant warmth. He lowered the bulk of his body into the water, hissing as the hot water seared his flesh and sent his joints aching. Slowly his body came back to life. Ghirahim watched quietly from the shore, arms crossed.

"Where did it come from?" Link had spoken softly up to his chin in the hot water, looking up at the mossy ceiling towards the temple.

"It came from me." Ghirahim stated sullenly, frowning at the ground obviously reluctant to continue.

"Yes, I saw." Link's voice was gentle. "But that's not the end of the story is it? I mean… you didn't seem like you meant to do it." He waited patiently.

"No I certainly did _not_." He combed his fingers through his silvery hair and began pacing back and forth along the bank of the spring, gesticulating as he spoke. "I woke up in the temple with no memory of having traveled there, truly irritating of course," He sighed "and then that _thing_ ripped the magic straight from me, and let me tell you, breathing life into something is not a pleasant process when one means to do it, forcibly done it's quite… well, you saw that part I suppose, no need to relive it." He shuddered almost imperceptibly. "As far as what possessed me to go there in the first place, and what was able to take my magic by force…" He stopped pacing abruptly, and put his head in his hands wearily. "…I think that we both know there was only ever one person who could control me." He looked down at Link through his fingers, watching the implication of what he had said sink in.

"You don't mean…" Link's eyes widened, his thoughts a dazed addled mess. _How?! _His mind screamed over and over, _how could this have happened?_ "Demise?" He finally managed to spit the name out.

"Yes. It could only be him" Ghirahim lowered himself gracefully to the ground, sitting cross legged with his head still in his hands, "I don't see any alternative."

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**Vigilante's Footnotes:**

**You guys would let me know if the monster's cadence is totally unreadable right? good. **

**I'd love to hear what any of you think of the story so far, maybe what you think might happen next? **

**BONUS: to anyone who figured out that the monster is supposed to be a sphinx: well done you little mythologist/theologist/cryptologist you.**

**ALSO: to any of you just waiting out all this plot nonsense in the hopes that things will get smutty: SOON MY DARILINGS, SOON.**


	7. Chapter 7: What Are You

**Vigilante's Notes:**

****SLASH WARNING** **

**_If you aren't into sexy man on demon love scenes then this chapter is NOT for you_. Sorry.**

**I'm sorry this chapter is so late, LIFE got in the way; please forgive me my darling friends. I made this chapter extra long, (and extra sexy) just for you~****  
**

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**WHAT ARE YOU**

Link's mind raced frantically, _How did this happen? We sealed him away in the master sword. What was left of him anyway… for that matter, what __was__ left of him? _All Link knew for sure was that Demise's remaining consciousness had been shut away, left to rot and wither into nothing, trapped inside the sacred blade. _Yes at the end of the battle, just after… _"Ghirahim… how did you survive the battle?" Link was abruptly suspicious. _I should have known when I saw Ghirahim that Demise had not been contained entirely. _"When I defeated demise and his sword…_you_… disappeared I thought you were gone…?" He swam over, lying on his stomach in the shallows in front of the morose demon.

Ghirahim looked up, letting his hands fall back in his lap. His eyes cool as he assessed the hero before him, choosing his words carefully, "I merely fled at the first sign that Demise's hold on me had loosened. I may be proud but I'm smart enough know when to retreat… I do have some sense of self preservation and I know a hopeless fight when I see one." Pain flashed across his face for a split second, he composed himself and Link looked away, pretending he hadn't seen.

"So you're not… I mean…" Link was acutely aware of how vulnerable a position he was in. "You're not the one behind this are you?"

"_Please _child, I never took you for an imbecile." He sighed despairingly, "You really think I have anything to _gain_ from my old master's return? If that were the case, why would I not have killed you already? If not out of necessity than surely to gain his favor, I've had ample opportunity. No, after I abandoned him so readily I doubt severely that he is out there planning a welcome home party. He's likely imagined some horrible end for me," he waved his hand as though it were no matter of any importance, "although it seems as though he does have some need of me first and it doesn't look like I'll have much say in the matter." The heavy tone of dread was a foreign note in his usually confidant voice.

The question that had been burning in the back of Link's mind from the moment they'd formed their tenuous unlikely alliance sprung from his lips unbidden, "Why aren't you trying to kill me?" He swallowed hard, it wasn't what he'd meant to say really, although he felt a sense of relief at having put it out there, "I mean… I'm not complaining or anything." He stammered awkwardly, "You just seem so… _different_" that was putting it mildly, in Link's eyes Ghirahim had gone from manic and homicidal to affectionate and downright protective of him with no obvious cause for the flip in his personality.

"Let me see if I can't explain myself in a way that will make you understand" He took one of Link's hands in both of his and idly traced the lines of his palm while he thought. "Now, you know that I am a weapon, essentially. As any other weapon I am free to be wielded by any with the strength to do so. Now, tell me child what do you think a sword is for?"

"For protection," Link did not hesitate in his answer, "for protecting the people that you love." The corners of Ghirahim's mouth twitched up at his answer

"In _your_ hands perhaps, but consider for a moment the nature of a sword," he paused here allowing Link a moment to reflect on the thought before he continued, "a sword is, by it's very design _violent._ Whether its purpose is noble or wicked a sword is for killing, there is no way around that. _I am a tool built for killing. _It is my only purpose._" _He read the confusion in the boy's face as he contemplated the information that to him, only seemed to be implicating that Ghirahim _should_ be trying to kill him. "Yes, I am a tool for killing." he reiterated, "Now think to yourself, '_what is the demeanor of a sword left unwielded?' _is it an evil entity lusting after the blood of it's enemies? Is it pure of heart, wishing only to vanquish those who would cause harm to the world? What do _you_ think?" He gazed down at link expectantly.

"I don't know." Link had never considered it before, "It would depend on the sword I suppose…" He frowned thinking of Fi and how mechanical she had seemed when they first met, but as they traveled he found that indeed she did have a personality, so unlike the unthinking object she inhabited. "But I would think then that they must be waiting."

"How _astute_!"Ghirahim seemed delighted at the boy's conclusion. "Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for… someone to wield them?" Link thought he might have some idea where Ghirahim was going with this, but it was so absurd as to be unthinkable and he banished the thought before he could really examine it.

"_Who?_" He was grinning now, "Who would you be waiting on if you were a sword? If you could choose who controlled you, who would you pick?" his grin widened and he took Link's face in his hands, demanding his absolute attention.

Link searched Ghirahim's dark steady gaze his own sapphire eyes narrowed in concentration, "I would choose whoever's need of me was greatest... assuming their task was well intentioned." Ghirahim tilted his head to the side and nodded suppressing a smile.

"Whoever's need is greatest… I see." Ghirahim brushed Link's hair out of his face with cool fingers, his expression somewhere between amusement and sympathy, "It seems so simple to you doesn't it? _Do what is right._" Releasing Link's face he leaned back reclining on his elbows and staring unfocused into the dark ceiling.

"I always assumed that your goals were the same as Demise's?" Link sat up crossing his legs in front of him.

"Yes, they _were_. In the hands of Demise, my goal was the acquisition of the Goddess for the purposes of his reincarnation and his goal of obtaining the triforce, and the destruction of you as well, because you stood in our way. But without him I am stripped of that purpose, and I have no cause to harm you." He said as though nothing could be simpler.

"So you… have no loyalty to him?" Link spoke softly, confused.

"_Loyalty_" Ghirahim spoke through his teeth, "What reason do I have to hold loyalty to that _brutish_, absolutely _tactless dolt_? After all the trouble he caused me. You realize of course that he could have taken the goddess and absconded, you had no way of following him to that dimension and he would have regained his powers without contest and snuffed out any trace of light from the world." It hadn't occurred to Link until he heard it now, but this was absolutely true, he felt a chill run down his spine. The demon continued, "But his _moronic_ indulgence of what he thought to be a mockery of your species gave you the opportunity to stand against him, and I knew. I knew from the moment you bested me in combat that his foolish battle with you was doomed and I tried to warn him. We had nothing to gain by engaging you and I had already witnessed your strength and determination for myself." Link felt it then; he felt the frustration Ghirahim had held towards him for defying him every step of the way, and towards Demise for being so careless with his hard work, as he realized exactly how close he had been to failure. _I lost... in the end, Ghirahim succeeded in his task no matter how many times I beat him… _He looked at the demon with fresh insight, this was someone who had touched victory and had it ripped out from under him. _But not by me… Demise is to blame for this, isn't he?_ With a stiff expression Link nodded slowly, carefully composing his face, trying not to alert the demon to his thoughts._ I wonder… does he hate me still? _His heart beat painfully in his chest.

"Now put yourself in my place." Ghirahim brought a gloved hand up to rest in the center of his chest, his face set in an earnest mask though Link could see the rage boiling beneath it, "If someone whom you had gone through _serious effort _to revive _spat_ on that very _tedious and difficult accomplishment_ how apt would you be to jump back onto their bandwagon? _No..._ I plan on being on the winning team this time." He gave Link a leading glance before lurching forward; grabbing him by the back of his neck and pulling him close, leaning in so they were both kneeling eye to eye. "I think an alliance between us would be… mutually beneficial. I _assume_ your plan is to locate and reseal Demise?" his smile was sweet but there was venom in the way he spoke his king's name.

"Yes" Link breathed, startled by the proximity of the demon and the fervor with which he had spoken. "It's my only option."

"Ha!" Ghirahim laughed releasing Link's neck and sitting back on his heels "My dear, you _always _have options. Don't let anyone tell you different." He patted Link's cheek affectionately. "In this case though, I think it is in _everyone's_ best interest if we do as you've suggested." He made a short polite bow "And if you find it agreeable, I think it is in _our_ best interest to do so together."

Link's mind was reeling. _What is he suggesting? That we team up against Demise? Can I trust him? _His instincts screamed '_no_' but really what choice did he have? And anyway there was something undeniably captivating about Ghirahim. He was strong that was for sure, and clever. He could definitely prove himself indispensable in the hardships they would inevitably encounter. And okay maybe he was a little fascinated by the dynamic that had sprung up between them in the short time since they'd first chanced upon each other, their meeting in such an unlikely place an enigma all on its own. But most of all Link could feel a burning need for the sense of companionship in having someone else to share the burden of saving the world this time. _Yes. _

"Yes." Link whispered, almost inaudible in the cavernous room. But Ghirahim had heard him, grinning hugely, leaning in and wrapping his arms around Link's shoulders, taking him by surprise with the effortlessness of the warmth behind the gesture.

"Yes, I knew you were smart enough to see the benefits of teaming up. Although, perhaps you are a touch more witless than you seem, anyone with half a brain would have slit my throat after I produced that riddle spouting miscreation." He was joking, but there was a note of genuine anxiety behind the statement.

"What was that thing anyway?" Link shivered despite the warmth of the spring and the arms around him. "It was horrible."

"Yes. It was meant to be." Ghirahim sat back, leaving his hands resting on Link's shoulders, his face abruptly stern "It took by force some of the insight I had on you and created itself around what it thought to be your weaknesses. That's where it got your goddess' eyes. It was imperfect though, clearly it didn't find everything I know of you."

"What do you mean?" Link placed a hand on Ghirahim's cheek comfortingly, trying to enforce the idea that he was completely at ease though he was having trouble keeping up with the demon's manic mood shifts, and he was still marginally unsure that he wasn't being led into some sort of trap. Ghirahim looked down at him forlornly.

"For one thing _fear_ has never been your weakness." His pale lips turned up in a weak smile, "Compassion is where you falter." He placed his own hand over the one on his cheek and turned his head into it, closing his eyes and kissing the center of Link's palm, the action was so natural, so seemingly thoughtless; it caught Link by surprise making him blush. "And just as I did upon meeting you, it underestimated your cleverness. You did solve its riddle after all… though I would have dealt with it before you were harmed regardless." His voice grew slightly menacing. He replaced Link's hand upon his cheek, but left his own hand on top of it.

"If you could easily defeat it and you had no loyalty to it, then why was it created in the first place? I mean, that seems like poor planning…?" Link frowned.

"I believe the _plan _as it were, was for it to eat me before you arrived… I'm hardly as threatening unconscious, as you well know." He smiled in earnest now, "that makes two times you've saved me in as many days. What has become of me?" He sighed melodramatically. "A once great Demon Lord now doomed to be continually saved by a mere child? _Tragic_."

"Yes well don't feel _too_ bad. You saved me too remember? And if you hadn't I wouldn't be around to save you the next time you get yourself in trouble." Link grinned winningly.

"He _does_ have a sense of humor! _Miraculous_! And here I was thinking you were all seriousness." He leaned in placing his hands on either side of Links flushed face. "Well, all seriousness except for that very charming blush you persist in flaunting." Link's face darkened. "Ah, there it is." Ghirahim chuckled wickedly. "Are you all warmed up then? No longer in danger of losing any limbs to the cold?"

"Yes I'm feeling much better." Link flexed a few of his joints experimentally and found them to function properly with the exception of a little soreness and possibly some bruised ribs.

"Well if you're all in order…" Ghirahim took Link's hands and helped him stand. "Close your eyes" he warned.

"Wait where are we-" _Snap_. The world twisted around him in a disorienting blur of color and shadow, the only constant was the feeling of Ghirahim's hands grasping his. Suddenly he felt the weight of himself pushing against something cool and soft at his back. As the world came back into focus he saw in front of him, above him, a gauzy canopy and hundreds of painted birds. There was light in the room, a warm flickering, _candle light? _But most immediately was the face staring down at him with dark, smoldering eyes and an amused smile.

"You didn't close your eyes." He still had Link's hands captive, He tightened his grip and pushed them into the pillows above his head, pressing their chests together. The boy's heart beat wildly in his chest, more a reaction to the voracious look on Ghirahim's face than to the startling teleportation, although that certainly had something to do with it.

"No, I didn't." He could feel the demon's weight on him, oppressing but not unpleasant, trapping him there. He could feel the rise and fall of Ghirahim's chest against his own, and his cool sweet breath on his face. A light flush graced his ashen cheeks, dark eyes warm and bright, with a sly smile playing on his lips. _"_You look so_… human._" Link murmured abruptly, "but you're not are you?" Ghirahim looked away thoughtfully.

"No. I certainly am not." He leaned in pressing his cheek against Link's and whispered in his ear, "Now, close your eyes." Link did as he was instructed. His breathing grew heavy as soft lips brushed along his jaw and came to rest against his own lips very gently. Ghirahim released Link's hands to wrap an arm under him, the other hand wrapping around the back of his neck possessively. Link's newly freed hands came to rest on strong shoulders feeling the unearthly smoothness of his skin. Their kiss deepened, lips parting and tongues dancing as though they could read each other's thoughts. Ghirahim pulled away slightly "But with your eyes closed could you even tell the difference?" Eyes still shut; Link ran his fingers down Ghirahim's back, forcing himself not to peek when he felt him shudder beneath his hands. The muscles beneath his clothing were hard, harder than his own for sure, but they still had some give. He moved his hands up to run through his soft hair, so fine it seemed almost fluid in his hands. His fingertips traced the features of his face, the line of his nose and cheekbones, the tender skin of his eyelids before running a finger across his lips, which parted slightly at his touch.

"Yes even in the dark, I can tell..." Link whispered opening his eyes to see a slightly frustrated look on the face above him, "You are so much more than human, I don't think a blind man could mistake you for one." At this Ghirahim looked slightly baffled before settling his expression somewhere between awe and hunger, his sharp teeth bit the finger of one of his gloves, pulling it off with a flourish. With his bare hand he snapped, every light in the room snuffed out with a quiet hiss. Link inhaled sharply as something warm and moist brushed his ear; he heard a low moan as Ghirahim bit down gently on his ear lobe carefully avoiding his earring.

"You have no idea how hard it is to be gentle with you. I'm not used to anything so… breakable. " Carefully the demon's long flexible fingers brushed lightly everywhere they could reach, grazing his nails down Link's arms and sides.

"I'm sturdier than I look" Link clung to him with slightly more force than he thought was really necessary causing his ribs to ache slightly, but he didn't care, he didn't _want_ to be handled gently. There was a burning ache in his stomach that longed for _closeness_ but inexperience left him unsure how to express what he was feeling.

"I suppose you must be, after all I've put you through… very well then." With no further explanation Ghirahim bit down hard on the exposed area where Link's neck met his shoulder, eliciting from the boy what was almost a scream but for the way it trailed into a gratified moan. Thin fingers fervently clawed at the hard skin of his back, Ghirahim purred contentedly, licking the small amount of blood that had begun to bead where one of his teeth had broken the skin, as the lithe form beneath him arched into him, exposing his neck, panting, practically begging for more. "Well aren't you just deliciously _primal_." He pinned the boy's slender arms above his head with only one of his own strong hands, the other raking from Link's throat to his abdomen leaving stinging trails where his sharp nails pulled at soft skin.

They lay there, entangled in each other's arms moving against one another and whispering. Quiet gasps of encouragement, timid sanctions, and wordless bliss. The thin layer of fabric that separated them was agonizing. There was a _snap _in the dark and Link felt Ghirahim's clothing disintegrate from between them with an odd tingling sensation. Link tensed, a wave of anxiety washing over him with an overwhelming feeling of unpreparedness that made him tremble subtly.

"What's wrong?" Ghirahim could feel the change in his companion's disposition. "You seem frightened…"

"I just… I don't know what to do…" Link laughed nervously, embarrassed that he had to explain himself, "I haven't… I mean I've never…" He couldn't finish the statement glad that the darkness was masking the color of his burning cheeks and ears.

"Well I certainly don't want to force you into anything you're not ready for." Ghirahim's voice was soft, reassuring.

"It's not that!" He felt so foolish, _I shouldn't have said anything at all. _"I _do_ want to, you know…_ be_ with you, I'm just…" His sentence trailed off as he frantically searched for a way to mend the conversation.

"_Relax."_ A cool hand pressed against Link's cheek, "For someone who has denied evil and conquered death you are _adorably_ demure." A quiet chuckle in the dark, "_How about_ we take it slowly tonight, stick to something you're a little more familiar with hmm?"

"Please… I think that would be best." Link relaxed though he felt somewhat disappointed with himself, _Next time, _he thought _Next time you will not be afraid. _Ghirahim's weight shifted off of him towards the foot of the bed.

"Well then, don't be shy about telling me if I'm being too rough with you." Link heard the sound of Ghirahim's feet hitting the floor as he slid completely off of the bed. He felt as Ghirahim took him by both ankles and pulled him down until his legs were dangling. He sat up, his arms reaching out sightlessly trying to find Ghirahim in the dark. _Snap. _Half the candles re-lit and he could see him in the warm light, arm still raised, kneeling in front of him on the floor.

Link gasped as Ghirahim tenderly nipped at the inside of his thighs before his long extremely dexterous tongue wrapped around the length of his penis. Warm and wet its deft twisting motions left him breathless, his straight upper teeth bit down on his lip which was still slightly swollen from their amorous kissing. A tingling sensation that started at the base of his cock and radiated in heavy waves throughout his body like an electric current made the muscles in his legs and stomach tense erratically. It was all he could do to keep from screaming out, but he clenched his teeth together and clutched the heavy blankets beneath him determined to keep quiet as long as he was able. Ghirahim seemed to sense that he was purposefully abstaining from vocalizing his pleasure, and he doubled his efforts, speeding up the rhythm of his motions and pulling at the boy's hips with his strong hands while his tongue preformed clever gymnastics, pressing and sliding in painfully precise motions. Link exhaled in a gasp, cringing forward and wrapping his arms around the back of the demon's neck, he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, and as he inhaled he couldn't help but moan in sweet agony at the intoxicating warmth the mouth around his cock. Long arms wrapped around his waist as he was enveloped completely, he felt so warm, so _safe_, despite his complete lack of control. "A-ah!" His toes curled and he writhed, bucking his hips forward as his pleasure peaked and he came irresistibly in the demon's mouth.

Ghirahim pulled back, licking his pale lips and snickering at the aghast look on Link's panting face. "I'm sorry, it's just…" he covered his mouth as he chuckled, "you look so _surprised." _

"I _am_ surprised." Link stated honestly. "I've never… I mean… that was… very nice. Thank you."

Ghirahim flopped back on the bed, arms wrapped around himself literally rolling with laughter "Ah ha ha! You are so _charming_ when you're flustered!"

Link collapsed backwards landing next to Ghirahim, who had calmed down and was now merely grinning at him, silver hair falling across his face. He closed his eyes as Link tucked it back behind his ear.

They lay there together in silence for quite awhile before Link, curiously peeked at Ghirahim from under his eyelashes, was he asleep? _Does he even sleep? _Link had no way of telling, propped on his elbow he examined Ghirahim's relaxed face. _What are we? _He pondered _what are you to me? _His mind flipped through the associations he had with him _ally, demon, enemy, savior, friend… lover. _He frowned

_What are you?_

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**Vigilante's Footnotes:**

**I **_**assume**_** Ghirahim never **_**actually**_** gets dressed or undressed. Goodness knows I wouldn't if I could snap myself naked. **

**I would appreciate literally **_**any**_** commentary you might have. I don't want to beg or anything, (unless you're into that) but even just a few of you letting me know you are still reading would be really encouraging. Otherwise I'll probably update a little less frequently. (although even if nobody's reading it's likely I'll finish the story regardless)**

**EDIT: _OH MY GOD I WROTE "SHITS" INSTEAD OF "SHIFTS" SOMEBODY KILL ME PLEASE. _**


	8. Chapter 8: Ascend

**My loves~ I am **_**so sorry**_** this took so long to publish, especially since you all had **_**such lovely kind things to say to me **_**thank you all so SO much, really you are all way too awesome. I just had some **_**really depressing misogynistic shit **_**go down at work and it's been really hard for me to focus on anything but that lately, (hopefully it doesn't color my writing too much) thank you as always for your benevolent patience with your naughty procrastinating author.**

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**ASCEND**

He had been there for all of time, and never, in this place where everything was darkness and silence. The atmosphere was pervasive and heavy and _thick. _He could taste it, feel it creeping in his ears and mouth and lungs. So quiet he could not hear his breath, nor feel the beat of his heart. So dark that he could not recall the warmth of the sun on his skin.

And in the soundless dark, a bead of red light, _no_, two lights, and they flickered like fire. He moved towards the lights the only thing in this void he inhabited. He stopped. The lights… He knew them. They burned in the blackness with a familiarity that set his teeth on edge.

A flash of scales.

From all around him, above and below, from inside his own head, behind his eyes he heard it; a voice, flaring and crackling like fire, so impossibly deep it shook him to his core.

"Foolish child… endeavored to mask the darkness with light, too callow to know that darkness is eternal and _light _can be _snuffed out_."

He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find his mouth, he realized in that moment that he did not inhabit this darkness, his very being _was_ the darkness, and the voice that he heard came from within.

"I will burn your world to the ground and dance in the ashes and your _goddess_ will not raise a finger to aid you in stopping me. _You are alone._ Poor little hero; abandoned and worthless, doomed to be mere kindling in the fire of everything he once loved." The beads of light, no, _the eyes,_ popped and flared building into a very real flame that seemed to swell to impossible heights before him.

"_Let's set you alight and see how well you burn._" A very sharp set of teeth appeared briefly in the wall of fire as it crested and gushed towards him.

Mute and limbless, the blaze of fire hit him like a wave, hot and suffocating. Perhaps the warmth was pleasant at first, but it grew rapidly, steadily, until it was a blistering unpleasant thing. He felt the tongues of flame lick and bite at his flesh, and at his lungs and heart, the fire was inside him. The heat flared, a bright flame growing to an inferno, as it enveloped him he could feel his skin bake and his blood boil. Every facet of his being was in agony, but in its wake came an icy glow, a spark within this dark nothingness that was himself, _you must not succumb to personal tragedies. _The spark said in a mechanical unconcerned voice, feminine and like everything else in this place, familiar. _It is your duty once again to protect your people. And you can do this thing. You were made for this purpose. _He imagined the meat melting from his charred bones, his eyes sweltering behind cracked lids. _You must stand and fight._ He reached back for his sword, intending to strike out at whatever was causing him this horror, but his hand grasped at empty air, and there was no enemy to fight, the voice had vanished. He was alone, alone in the dark and the fire.

A cool hand touched his cheek, an oasis in the desert, _no_, a glacier on the sun, so unlikely in its wintry pleasantness.

"_Link" _The voice was so sweet, so achingly sweet, like a bucket of cold water extinguishing the embers of his scorched heart. He reached his hands out trying to grasp it, trying to catch a hold of the lifeline that was his name spoken by what could only be an angel. Cool shackles found his wrists and he welcomed them, anything solid in this flaming nothingness was a comfort.

He found his lips and then his tongue, and he was screaming. Inhaling with a gasp he found his eyes and opened them, his vision blurry at first, focusing on the seraphic face above him.

"Link!" A look of distress painted Ghirahim's already pallid face absolutely waxen. "Wake up! _Wake up."_ Link felt the hands around his wrists shake him gently but firmly. "I can't help you if you don't _wake up!"_

"I'm okay…" Link's voice was hoarse and broken, "… just a nightmare" He swallowed sorely. _How long had I been screaming? _He peered up at Ghirahim apologetically.

"I only left for a moment… when I came back, you were screaming as though you were being _tortured_." The demon's deep amethyst eyes were wide, afraid. "_Are you going to be alright?"_ He didn't seem convinced that mere dreams could evoke such a scene.

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat noisily, "would you please…? There's a bottle of water in my pack…" at his behest, Ghirahim swept around the bed and seemingly with out looking immediately located the bottle in question, thrusting it in Link's direction, still visibly shaken.

"_Thank you_" Link sighed earnestly, having drained about half the bottle in a single chug. Ghirahim stood beside him, arms crossed, with a carefully composed patience set on his face, though it was obvious he was still uneasy.

"What _horror _visited your dreams so thoroughly as to cause you such… _discomfort_?" Ghirahim sat beside him on the bed and draped an arm around his shoulder consolingly. "You've faced a variable _army_ of terrible beasts with nary a backward glance; you affronted _me_ without a single hint of fear. I've never seen you so… _unhinged." _He gazed down at Link with a look of questioning worry, his jaw clenched sympathetically.

"It was nothing, I have night terrors all the time, just…" Link swallowed, the ache in his throat a reminder of the torment he'd suffered at the hands of his nightmare. He avoided eye-contact with his companion, focusing on the elaborate pattern embroidered on the comforter. Thinking how alien the arm around him felt, and how thankful he was that it was there, he sighed, "_Demise, _he was… in my head, speaking to me. But he was also in front of me…" He frowned, glancing up to meet a steady attentive gaze. "and, he set me on fire…" This was all sounding very strange and not at all as excessively affecting as it had felt, "There was someone else too… I'm sorry, I can't seem to describe it right."

"It's quite all right child, such is the way of dreams. They are fickle fleeting things. Like fish out of water, they do not survive long out of their element, and they are not wont to be described in words." He took Link's chin in his free hand and tilted it up so their eyes met, "but they cannot harm you."

"I'm not so sure…" Link shivered as he recalled the vivid reality of the flames. "It didn't feel like a dream."

"Well, you are safe now." Ghirahim squeezed him gently before releasing him and sliding off the bed. "We should get moving if we're going to make any progress today." Link nodded in agreement and began his preparations for leaving. He offered some of his food rations to Ghirahim who declined.

"Don't you get hungry?" Link mumbled through a mouthful of bread. "I don't think I've seen you eat anything since I found you here."

"Oh I understand hunger." Ghirahim smiled, examining his hair in the cracked mirror of an armoire while he waited. "I have… different cravings." He added mysteriously.

When Link was fed, dressed, and packed, he turned to face Ghirahim, "Where should we start?" Link realized that his last journey had been neatly planned out for him, and he had no idea how to begin this directionless quest.

"Skyloft is the obvious choice but consider that we might be putting the whole place in terrible danger by appearing there. Demise will know we are there for him and he has the high ground so to speak." As Ghirahim paced back and forth thoughtfully Link found himself distracted by the demon's movement, it was the little things, the curve of his wrist as he flipped his hair out of his eyes, the absolute fluidity of his gait; even the way he blinked seemed graceful. _It's like he's moving through water._ He looked away trying to focus.

"You think he's still in Skyloft?" Link was suddenly worried, "why would he stay? He's got nothing to gain from them."

"He may not be strong enough to leave." Ghirahim shrugged, "clearly he's capable of posing a threat remotely, and though he _is_ decidedly incapacitated, we should try to keep in mind that he's still very dangerous."

"Let's go." Link knew that he needed to see for himself that his friends where whole and unharmed before he would be able to shake the uneasiness that had settled upon him. "To Skyloft I mean, we _have _to at least warn them." He thought of Zelda and his heart ached. _Please be okay… _

"As you wish." Ghirahim's voice sounded just slightly detached, "however, as you may or may not know _I cannot teleport to the sky. _We will have to find some other means of travel." He offered an elegantly extended hand to Link, "Shall we examine our options a little closer?" Link took his hand nodding.

_Snap._

They were outside, in front of the blocked doorway and looking down the damp mossy stairs. The rain had stopped but the cloud cover was still thick and angry looking, and the ground was still very wet. The air was surprisingly balmy, slightly damp but with a savory tang to it, like the smell of your clothes the morning after a campfire. Link's eyes alighted on a nearby bird statue. _Of course._

"We'll fly." He smiled at the simplicity of it. Ghirahim however did not seem so relived by the epiphany.

"I do not suppose… we have any other option." Sighing, he looked up warily as if the clouds were some menacing entity plotting against them. Link wandered towards the bird statue, tugging loose his sailcloth. _Will it carry us both? _He remembered how heavy Ghirahim had been when he'd lifted him. _I suppose we'll find out._ He turned offering his hand to his skeptical ally, who was still perched at the top of the steps, hands balled into tight fists at his sides, cape fluttering in the breeze.

"Let me show you how_ I_ travel." He said it with confidence and a reassuring smile on his young face. Ghirahim walked cautiously down the steps, stopping just out of Link's reach. Searching his face wordlessly for a moment before taking his hand, his lips turned in an uneasy grimace. Link wrapped Ghirahim's arms around his own neck.

"Make sure you hold on tight." Links warned him, and then with a mocking grin, "_close your eyes."_ Link activated the bird statue without hesitation, a fierce wind whipped up around them filling the sailcloth and jettisoning them into the air at a speed that bordered on violence. He felt Ghirahim's arms tighten around him, and looked down to see that the demon's eyes were indeed clamped shut, silver-white hair dancing in the tempest. Soon their ascent began to slow, reaching the apex of their lift. Link whistled with a well practiced volume, calling his loftwing to them. As they hung in the air for a moment, at that perfect weightless point between flying and falling, Ghirahim opened his eyes meeting the gaze of the boy that carried him. Bright eyed and jubilant, he was truly at home in the empty air, carrying no trace of fear on his mild, handsome face.

_Fwoosh_

With easy grace a massive crimson bird swept under them and carried them off, sagging slightly under the excess weight. Link helped Ghirahim shift to a more comfortable position behind him gloved arms clamped tightly around his waist. _Sorry friend,_ He patted the bird's neck affectionately, feeling the strain in its movement at the unexpected burden.

As Link turned his attention to navigating back his home island, he was relieved to see that, from a distance at least, it seemed to be undisturbed by the Demon King's awakening. His mind wandered to his dearest friend, _Zelda. She will know what we should do. _But it occurred to him with the conspicuous warmth of his companion at his back, _Will she even be willing to speak to us? She must, the fate of the world depends on our success, but… _He thought anxiously of Zelda's last encounter with Ghirahim, _he kidnapped her and tried to steal her soul. Surely she has no love for him, but will I be able to make her see how he's changed? _He glanced back over his shoulder and was struck by the expression of absolute wonder on Ghirahim's face as he stared out at the cloudy expanse surrounding them, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes wide despite the gusting air that berated him. He loosed a hand from around Link's waist, reaching out to run his fingers through passing clouds, frowning when he couldn't catch them. _I will make her see. _With a determined frown he pulled back on the reins, slowing to a crawl as they passed over Skyloft.

"Hold on!" He shouted, his voice whipping away in the wind, but he knew by the gentle squeeze around his middle that he had been heard. He waited for just the right moment before tipping sideways and sending them tumbling into open air. When he opened his sailcloth the extra weight pulled at his shoulders and elbows threatening to dislocate them. Ghirahim landed first, being the taller of the pair, and he caught Link, lowering him gently to the ground.

"That was…" The demon grinned exposing all his sharp pearly teeth, "_interesting. _You must take me again when we are not so pressed for time." He righted his wind-swept hair with a single well placed brush of his fingers. "How do you suggest we proceed?" Link examined the area as Ghirahim insisted on untangling his blonde persistently messy hair. They had landed on a small platform jutting off the west side of the island, below the knight's academy and within spitting distance of the bazaar. There didn't seem to be anyone around, but he thought it best to err on the side of caution given that he was traveling with a well known and not particularly well loved villain.

"Could you teleport us somewhere?" Link interrupted Ghirahim's fussy grooming.

"Only if I know where we're going," he crossed his arms seemingly giving up any hopes he'd had of righting Link's unmanageable locks. "Otherwise, well… suffice it to say that we may not arrive entirely intact."

"What about there?" Link pointed to the roof of the academy, just visible above the cliff beside them.

"Oh, yes. Not a problem." Without waiting for consent, he scooped Link up in his arms.

_Snap._

They landed precariously close to the far edge of the roof. Ghirahim teetered slightly before stumbling backwards, "The air up here is so _insubstantial."_ He sounded almost offended, setting Link back on his feet. "It's a good thing I have _impeccable _control, or that could have ended rather tragically." He peered over the edge of the roof, scowling.

Link cracked the door to the upper level of the academy. It was midday so most everyone should be out practicing their swordsmanship. The coast seemed clear, so he stepped inside, motioning for Ghirahim to follow him. He winced at the inevitable creak of the heavy door as he closed it behind them. As they snuck past the upstairs quarters, only one person seemed to be home, professor Horwell, and he was too busy tending to a litter of playful remlits in his room to notice their quiet passage. They made it almost all the way down the curving stairs before they saw even a hint of another person. Groose, with his back to them, was examining something on the bulletin board mumbling incoherently as he sounded out the words.

"Duck!" Link hissed pushing a disgruntled but compliant Ghirahim so that he was seated on the stairs, head bowed beneath the solid stone banister.

"Link?" Link stood bolt upright as Groose turned to face him, his masculine thick jawed face confused at first, but then softened to a pleasant smile, obviously glad to see his friend. "I thought you'd left for good!" Grinning now he began walking towards Link, arms open as if to embrace him. Link panicked, he vaulted the balustrade, and contrary to his usually shy disposition he ran straight to Groose, wrapping his arms around his thick waist. "Woah buddy, happy to see me huh? Heh heh." A heavy hand patted Link amiably on the back.

"Um… yeah, sorry..." Link stepped back, turning them both so that now he was looking past Groose to the staircase and Groose had his back to it. "I missed you. I missed everyone." He glanced past the hulking form before him to see Ghirahim peeking over the edge of the staircase, fingers curled over the banister eyebrow raised dubiously.

"It's cool, I'd miss me too." He ran a hand over his dark red pompadour in what he surely imagined to be an alluring fashion, while striking an audacious pose. _Actually, Ghirahim and Groose would probably get along great. _Link huffed exasperatedly. "What're you doing back so soon though? I thought for sure you'd be gone at _least_ a week."

"Oh well… you know…" Link was distracted as he watched Ghirahim stand up and start tip toeing his way down the stairs and into the hallway, shooting Link questioning glances and pointing as if to say '_which way?'._ "I was actually hoping to speak with Zelda." He raised his arms as if stretching first up and then to the sides, pointing a little less than subtly at the first door on the left of the hallway, hoping Groose was too thick to notice his odd behavior. "Any idea where she's at?" Ghirahim nodded in confirmation, shooting Groose a questionable glance before making his way carefully to the door, as it opened the door groaned woodenly as it always did, and Link quickly feigned an alarming coughing fit to cover the sound.

"Jeez are you all right?" Groose patted him on the back with a look of wary concern.

_*cough* _"yes I'm fin-"*_cough*_ he coughed one last time to cover the click of the door as it shut, and then sighed in relief. "I'm fine… I think I just swallowed a bug or something."

"Oh yeah, Crawlin's got those things _all over the place._" Groose shook his head in exasperation. "The nerd... _Anyway_, I _totally _hear you man." He winked rakishly, "Zelda is a _babe._ I wouldn't be able to go a week without seeing her either. I think she said she'd be up by the waterfall today. Not sure what she's up to… mysterious _goddess stuff_ I'd bet." He nodded sagely. "I bet she'd still be there if you went and looked."

"_Thank you_ Groose. I'll go and find her right away." Link said earnestly, clapping Groose on his massive shoulder. "You've been a real help."

"Sure thing buddy." Groose smiled, puffing his broad chest out, proud as always to be helping someone. "You need anything else you just find ol' Groose." He gave Link a breezy salute before sauntering down the hallway, humming some tune to himself. _Probably his theme music. _Link snorted, laughing at his friend's gallant carriage. _We've all changed._ Still smiling he opened the door to his room. Ghirahim was bent over his desk absorbed with whatever he saw there, his long legs crossed and his muscular back arched as he supported himself on one arm, the other was flipping through a book. He looked ethereal, standing there in Link's modest bedroom. _A lot of things have changed._ Ghirahim seemed to notice him then, and turned to smile at him standing there in the doorway with a perplexed look on his face.

"You didn't tell me you could draw." He pouted in mock offence, his voice low and teasing. Link frowned, meandering over to his workspace to find an open sketchbook.

"I can't really." Link shrugged, peering down, slightly embarrassed to see some of his rough charcoal sketches of his loftwing. "I mean… not very well." His cheeks burned.

"Stop that blushing this instant." Ghirahim took him by the chin, bearing over him in a domineering fashion, "unless you _want_ me to give you cause to alert the whole building of our presence?" He smiled sumptuously and leaned in to kiss him gently on the edge of his jaw before chuckling and loosing his grasp on Link's face.

"Maybe I do." Link crossed his arms, a defiant glimmer in his icy blue eyes.

"Oh _really _child?" Ghirahim grinned maliciously stepping towards him, the height difference between them was conspicuous. The demon grinned, his pointed teeth distinct and his iridescent skin shimmering delicately in the afternoon sun that streamed in the window, "didn't anyone ever tell you to be careful what you wish for?" a beam of light illuminated one of his eyes, giving it an inhuman lavender glint. Link widened his stance and backed up a few steps, "_because you might just get it." _The tension between them mounted and a strange mixture of desire and guardedness hung in the air. Suddenly, the demon lunged at him, but Link was prepared. He sidestepped and caught Ghirahim at the elbow and the hip, sweeping his leg and flipping them both onto the bed.

"_That._" Link looked down smugly at the bewildered face beneath him. "_Is the second time _I have managed to get you on your back." He mimicked Ghirahim's superior tone teasingly, "Are you sure you aren't loosing your touch?"

"…and it won't be the last time I'm sure." Ghirahim muttered conspiratorially, before breaking into an effusive laughter, "_There's_ that rebellious spirit I met so long ago." He placed his hands on either side of Link's face, "I'd worried perhaps you'd gone soft in your retirement." He leaned in pressing his lips against Link's fondly. "_Now. _As much as I _love _it when you get rough with me, Isn't their something a little more… _pertinent, _we should be doing?"

"You're right." Link sighed as he rolled off of Ghirahim and sat on the edge of the bed. "I think we need to speak with Zelda." Link asserted, shaking his head to clear it, "She'll know what we need to do."

"Yes, I'm sure she _will_." Link was startled at Ghirahim's easy acceptance of this idea. Ghirahim tucked his legs under himself and sat cross-legged on the side of the bed beside Link. "But don't you think she'll want to… you know…" he waived his hand in the air in front of him, searching for the right word, "…_murder_ me?" He finished, resting his chin in his palm casually.

"Maybe I should see her alone first." Link clenched his teeth trying to imagine how _that_ conversation would play out.

"That would probably be best." Ghirahim flopped back stretching out on the bed, which was slightly too short for him, and crossing his arms behind his head, appearing totally at ease. "I'll just stay here and _try_ not to cause any trouble." He peered down his nose at link, grinning mischievously.

"Behave." Link waggled a finger sternly, but the effect was ruined by the smile that threatened on his face. "I'll be back soon." He leaned in and kissed Ghirahim's forehead softly, before turning and walking as inconspicuously as possible out the door. Anxiety flooded his veins as he made his way down the hallway and out of the academy.

_How will I make her understand?_

* * *

**As you might be able to tell, this is the first thing I've_ ever written_ outside of school, (and it's certainly the longest thing I've ever written) I'm so glad you're all enjoying it, and I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for being so gentle with me and for not straight up murdering me for all the beginner's mistakes (and grammatical errors) I am inevitably making, and also for being fucking awesome in general. You guys are **_**rad.**_


	9. Chapter 9: To See and Be Seen

**To See and Be Seen **

Link made his way across town, ducking behind buildings and around corners to avoid having to awkwardly explain his presence to the townsfolk. _I was only gone a few days, it's possible nobody even knew I left._ Despite how brief and life-threatening his trip to the surface had been he was surprised at how distant and unwelcoming this place felt, he had not been gone long but already this place didn't feel like his home anymore. Perhaps it hadn't for a while. He paused at the river crossing, gazing across the misty water to the mouth of the cavern beneath the waterfall, the only place where any sort of monster dwelled on this safe haven in the sky. _Or at least, it was…_ his eyes wandered to the statue of the goddess. What had once been a symbol of hope now loomed ominous, far too close for comfort with the knowledge of what evils lay within. With fresh purpose he sprinted across the platforms surefootedly leaping between them until he reached the far bank, breaking into a sprint when he was sure that he wouldn't encounter anyone he would have to explain himself to.

He approached the entrance to the cave, and slowed his pace. _What business does Zelda have here? _He wondered idly as he strained to see into the darkness. Over the roar of the waterfall, his sharp ears picked up the soft flutter of keese going about their business, and the quiet drip of water against stone, but nothing out of the ordinary. _Mysterious goddess stuff probably._ The gruff sound of Groose's voice in his head made him smile despite himself.

He made his way stealthily, traversing the slick stone floors careful to avoid alerting the local beasts to his presence. As he traveled he played out the conversation in his head over and over trying to anticipate her response. _This is going to be impossible._

He was beginning to worry by the time he made it through to the other side, having not found a single trace of the girl. But almost immediately he saw her, bright golden hair swirling in the breeze as she sat on the wooden jetty, eyes closed and leaning into the wind. He stood transfixed by her glowing presence for a moment, questioning the sudden weight on his chest, the burn in his throat. What was this pain he was feeling? Surely it was the prospect of explaining his partnership with the very man, the very _demon_, who had so very nearly taken her. _Ghirahim…_ His chest ached and he clenched his teeth _Why now does the thought of him make me feel so… weak?_ This alliance was somehow so much more complicated to explain than the resurgence of the evil King.

He watched the slight girl peacefully swaying to the rhythm of the gusting wind and how fragile she looked, like she could just waft away on the breeze, the urge to protect her flared strong. _What evidence do you have that he has changed? _ He tried to consider the situation logically. Nothing but his word, would it be enough to convince her? _He convinced me._ Link tried to consider what he could possibly say to make her trust him. _Ghirahim certainly has changed; I just need to make her see it. He needs Demise eradicated just as much as we do… _Briefly, he was not so sure, as he recalled their many battles, the violent malice and absolutely lethal demeanor of his actions seemed irrefutable, and equally as disturbing, was his cleverness and ingenuity. _Could he really have transformed so entirely in such a short time? _He bit his lip, _what if this is all just a ruse to get at Zelda? _A fresh wave of aching misery washed over him as he realized that away from the distraction of his velvety voice and graceful affection, the notion that this person who he had learned to trust and confide in these last few days was potentially as villainous as ever seemed more likely by the second. _What cause really do I have to trust him? _Memories surfaced, clear as day of Ghirahim when they'd first met under the temple, as Link had cleaned his wounds, the sincerity of his gratitude, and how he'd seemed like a completely different person. There were other memories as well, of amorous entwines and soft whispers and surely those had been real. _ Is that enough though? Is it enough to risk… her? Maybe I should call the whole thing off. Insist that Ghirahim flee and tell Zelda nothing about his involvement. Would he leave if I asked him? _He was out of time to think as Zelda, sensing is presence perhaps, turned to face him.

"Link!" With an easy smile, she rose gracefully to her feet running to him. He embraced her welcomingly despite his apprehension, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her light sweet smelling hair while he lifted her off the ground and spun them both in a neat circle. As they held each other tightly with a wordless sentiment of assurance, it was the only thing that had felt like home on the island since he'd arrived. "I was so worried!" She stepped back still grasping his shoulders to assess that he was all in one piece.

"Really, I've only been gone a few days… I've got so much to tell you." he mumbled sheepishly, smoothing her windswept hair. He blanched slightly at the memory of Ghirahim's long capable fingers as they attempted a very similar tidying of his own hair not more than an hour ago. The look of pain that flashed across his face was not missed by his sharp eyed friend.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Again her pale indigo eyes swept over him, frowning concernedly. _How do I tell her? _His breathing grew strained as he struggled internally _Will she understand? Of course not, how could she. _And then he knew, the pain he was feeling was shame, he had betrayed his closest friend and what had it taken? A moment of weakness? A gentle touch? _But it didn't feel wrong… and he doesn't seem dangerous. Just tell her, tell her that he's here to help._ When he didn't answer she looked up into his face, trying to read his expression. "Link what…" her thought trailed off as she watched the hesitation in his gentle eyes. A small cool hand reached up to touch his cheek and it nearly broke him. As he stared down at her battling to maintain composure, a tinge of blush grew on her supple cheeks, rose petal lips parting to whisper "I missed you a lot you know." She looked almost angry. "As soon as you left I wanted to follow you… to bring you home, but I didn't know where you'd gone." Her hands slid down to rest on his chest, gently clutching the fabric of his tunic, an imploring look gracing her comely face.

"I'm sorry," He was surprised by the intensity of her gaze, unsure of how to react he mumbled, "I missed you t-" His response was cut off as she leaned in, pressing their lips together, the sensation was warm and impossibly soft. He stood shocked for a moment before his mind screamed at him to push her away, this was wrong, and if he didn't right this situation quickly he would be betraying two people. But with his nerves stretched so thin something in him snapped, and he gasped as a thrill ran through him, melting his resolve. Without thinking his fingers grasped at her tiny waist, pulling her closer. She tasted like honey and sunlight, and everything about her was luscious and soft, gentle curves and daintiness.

"I-I'm sorry!" He gasped, breaking their embrace, firmly separating them by an arm's length. "I can't… I shouldn't have…" He was at a loss for words, _What have I done?! _He clamped his eyes shut, hyperventilating as he tried to quell the torment he was feeling.

"No,_ I'm_ sorry." Her voice was quiet, timid. He opened his eyes confused, "I didn't mean to… I mean… I'm so sorry Link." her wide eyes exactly the color of the sky behind her, brimmed with tears. Before he could do anything to stop her, she pushed away from him and sprinted off the wooden dock, the sound of her whistle lingering while he watched, dumbstruck, as she soared off on the back of her violet loftwing. _What just happened?!_

He let himself sink to the ground resting his head in his hands. _I'm so stupid! How did I let this get so out of hand? Why couldn't I have just spit it out! I have to find her and set this right. _He considered flying back but decided he'd use the time walking to clear his head. _Where would she go…? I suppose the academy is as good a place to start as any. _He sighed, flopping back on the grassy hill, letting his head hit the ground with a painful _thump_. He closed his eyes as he contemplated the long trek back; unwilling to move. _The academy…_ Suddenly, it felt as though there was not enough room in his chest for his heart or his lungs, his eyes stung and his breath caught in his throat, _Ghirahim… what am I going to tell him? _

"_You must not succumb to personal tragedies." _the voice was a ghost of a memory, a droning emotionless trill, but it was enough. He leapt to his feet, and with a measured tread, headed back through the waterfall cave. He made no attempt at stealth on his return trip. He drew his practice sword, cutting down anything that moved against him. Littering the ground with the fluffy winged bodies of keese and chopped up mounds of the chu-chu's gelatinous corpses. He exited the cave panting, but the combat had settled his nerves somewhat, not caring who he encountered he raced back to the academy bursting through the front doors and bounding down the corridor to his room. Pausing only briefly to take a deep breath, he quietly opened the door.

Ghirahim was lying on the bed on his stomach, with his legs bent at the knee and crossed at the ankle. Propped up on his elbows, he still had Link's sketchbook open and was flipping through it. "There you are!" The warmth with which Ghirahim greeted him made Link's heart ache. "I was beginning to worry your negotiations had gone south and you'd had to resort to drastic measures." His tone was jesting but there was a genuine curiosity behind it.

"There _weren't_ any negotiations actually." Link sighed sitting on the bed beside Ghirahim and staring intently into the carpet beneath his feet. _Tell him. Just do it._

"What happened?" sincere and comforting, strong arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind, and as Ghirahim rested his cheek on the top of Link's head, a few strands of snowy hair fell into his field of vision. "Are we in trouble?" a deep voice whispered softly from above him. Link closed his eyes; focusing on keeping his breathing even. "do we need to leave…?"

He couldn't take it anymore. He felt like such a fool, _Why did I hesitate? Why the moment that he left my sight did I abandon him? _As he considered his reaction to Zelda's advances, how thoughtless he'd been, a rush of contempt for himself flooded his senses._ There is only one monster in this room._ Link stood up abruptly, pulling himself free of Ghirahim's constraining arms. He turned to face the confused demon. "I didn't get a chance to tell her…_anything,_ alright?" It came out with more force than he'd meant it to. "As soon as I found her she…" He hesitated, sighing.

"You are acting decidedly bizarre. _Just tell me you're alright."_ Ghirahim rose fluidly to his feet, placing his hands on Link's shoulders. Link shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Child, you will be the death of me _I swear_, with your vague shrugging and your eschewing around the point. just _spit. it. out."_

"_She kissed me!_" He soughed, weakly thumping his fists against Ghirahim's sturdy chest. "She kissed me and… I didn't do anything to stop her." He bowed his head, eyes and teeth clamped shut, awaiting rebuke.

A puzzled expression crossed Ghirahim's face as he assessed the boy before him. "_Is that really all?" _He took Link's chin and tilted his head up, demanding his attention. "Don't scare me like that! You walk in with this look on your face like someone _died_ all because a girl kissed you? You really are just absolutely the most _ridiculously _innocent little thing, aren't you?"

"So, you're not… _furious _with me?" his tension began to wane as Ghirahim laughed quietly, pulling him closer and cradling his head against his chest.

"_No_, I absolutely am not. Now _relax."_ He relinquished his hold on the boy and sat back on the bed, crossing his legs and leaning against the wall picking Link's sketchbook back up. Link frowned still nervous that Ghirahim might be hiding his anger. "Though if you think you're up for it you really _should _try to talk to her, as I don't _intend_ on staying holed up in your little bedroom perusing your charming drawing books until Demise reincarnates… though it _is_ tempting." He smiled down at something in the book he was holding.

Link sat down next to him cautiously, craning his neck to get a glimpse at what had amused him so. On the page was a fairly detailed rendering of Ghirahim himself. Several actually, quick gesture drawings of him in battle, brandishing a rapier, standing elegantly with his fingers poised to snap, or mid lunge, his arms black and shining; and then the most attentively drawn on this particular page, his face. His eyes dark and cold, his teeth bared in a menacing grin.

"It's uncanny really." His fingers hovered over the page, tracing the lines of his own face curiously. "You've captured my allure quite effectively."

"Thank you." Link smiled, "there are more in there, if you keep going."

"Oh I think I shall." Ghirahim turned and brushed his lips gently across Link's cheek. "Now go. Go warn your goddess of the danger we all face." Their eyes met in a moment of grave understanding. The solemnity of the burden they faced felt out of place in the peaceful warm light of the slowly setting sun streaming in the open window.

Just as Link closed his door behind him a girl bedecked in a forest green cap and tunic came storming down the stairs, hands balled into fists at her side, her expression livid. "_Link." _She said his name condemningly, coming to a stomping halt in front of him.

"Oh, hi Karane, how've you been?" He said it as friendly as possible, confused by her antagonistic glare.

"I'm just _wonderful_ thanks for asking." She crossed her arms, blocking his path up the stairs.

"Oh, um… I'm glad to hear that." He stammered awkwardly. _Why does she seem so cross with me? I really don't have time to deal with this right now. _He sighed. "I was just on my way to find Zelda… Do you know if she's in her room?" he peered past her up winding staircase.

"Oh _she's in there all right_." Her hands moved to rest on her hips and her eyes narrowed. "but I don't think she'll be wanting to talk to _you _right now mister." She waggled a finger in Link's face. "No sir, I'm not going to let you upset her any more." A damning scowl fixed on her pointy features.

"But she-! I mean, I didn't… I didn't mean to-" He stuttered, placing his hands on the sides of his head and flustered and balking. "Listen." He sighed, "I _need _to speak with her. It's very important." He gazed at her imploringly, and she stared back indignant and scrupulous for a long moment before huffing resignedly.

"I _suppose _I can let you go up there. But you have to _promise _to leave her alone if she doesn't want to see you," She poked him hard in the middle of his sternum, "and don't think just because you saved the world it gives you the right to play with girl's hearts."

"_Thank you_ Karane. I promise." His arms flopped back to his sides. "Really the last thing I meant to do was upset her. I'm actually going to go beg her forgiveness right now. Assuming she'll even speak to me…"

"Don't fuck this up _hero_." She stepped out of his way, her expression softening. "You don't know how lucky you are to have her as a friend."

"I do know, that's why I've got to go set things right." He nodded solemnly, before turning to climb the stairs to the upper floor. He stopped in front of Zelda's room, determined to apologize and then tell her everything without hesitation this time. He steeled himself, and then knocked softly on the door. "Zelda, it's me." He heard a shuffling behind the door, but then nothing. "I'm so sorry Zelda, I am, but I've got something _very _important I have to tell you." He knocked again, this time a little louder. He waited, growing anxious as the seconds ticked by. "Right well… I'll come back later then." _Maybe she really wasn't in there. _Defeated, he marched slowly back down the stairs to his room. Karane had disappeared from the stairwell, which he was glad for, no need to relive that unpleasant conversation.

"That was fast." Ghirahim looked up at him from his perch on the bed frowning, "and that look on your face tells me it is probably _not_ because she was chomping at the bit to embrace me as an ally."

"She wouldn't even speak to me." He sighed, flopping down on the bed beside Ghirahim, closing his eyes throwing an arm over his face to block out the light, though at this point the sun was nearly set and the room had began to grow dim anyway. "I'll just have to try again tomorrow I guess."

"You really are the little heartbreaker aren't you? Well there's no helping that is there. In the mean time, are there any errands you needed to run tonight? Supplies to gather or…" The demon waved his hand ambiguously, though Link couldn't see it. "I don't know. _Things_ you need to do?"

_I should stock up at the bazaar, _The thought of having to face a whole room full of questioning people made him hesitate. _No._ Given how quickly rumors spread in this place, especially if Karane was involved, he was in no hurry to face the curious masses. "I think that can wait until tomorrow too." The anxiety was clear in his voice.

"Very well then." Link heard the soft clap of a closing book, the thud of it being gently tossed onto a hard surface; and then suddenly, he was airborne, vaguely aware of the hands around his waist. He opened his eyes as his position flipped and he found himself astride a chuckling Ghirahim, "I _believe_ this is where we left off?" He released Link's waist and crossed his arms above his head, which rested on the thin pillow.

"Yes I suppose it was." Link smiled, leaning forward until their foreheads touched. Ghirahim's able hands quickly undid the belt around his middle and pulled his tunic over his head tossing both carelessly aside, before coming to rest at the tops of his hips, fingers lightly tracing the waistband of his pants. Link shivered delicately, "Though clearly you've still got the upper-hand." He whispered, closing his eyes as the hands moved from his waist to his chest and back down again and then around to his back making his whole body tingle with the tantalizing lightness of their touch.

"Clearly." Ghirahim pulled Link's upper body down, wrapping his arms securely around him, preventing his escape, not that he had any plans to try to break free. They stared into each other's eyes, close enough to taste each other's breath, and as their lips met they sighed in unison.

A quiet creak behind them.

A startled gasp.

Link's eyes fluttered open and he pulled away, whipping around to see Zelda standing in the doorway with her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and bewildered, glancing frantically between Link and the demon beneath him.

* * *

**Vigilante's Footnotes:**

**I didn't just describe a bunch of my own weirdly obsessive Ghirahim sketches in this chapter, nope. Definitely not. Not this author. *toddles away suspiciously***


End file.
